Across the globe and at different times in the past millennia, the evolutionary history of domesticated animals has been greatly affected by the myriad, complex, and diverse interactions humans have had with the animals closest to them. The Process of Animal Domestication presents a broad synthesis of this subject, from the rich biology behind the initial stages of domestication to how the creation of breeds reflects cultural and societal transformations that have impacted the biosphere.
Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra draws from a wide range of fields, including evolutionary biology, zooarchaeology, ethnology, genetics, developmental biology, and evolutionary morphology to provide a fresh perspective to this classic topic. Relying on various conceptual and technical tools, he examines the natural history of phenotypes and their developmental origins. He presents case studies involving mammals, birds, fish, and insect species, and he highlights the importance of domestication for the comprehension of evolution, anatomy, ontogeny, and dozens of fundamental biological processes.
Bringing together the most current developments, The Process of Animal Domestication will interest a wide range of readers, from evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, and geneticists to anthropologists and archaeologists.
Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra is professor of paleobiology and director of the Palaeontological Institute and Museum at the University of Zurich. He is the author of Embryos in Deep Time.
"The Process of Animal Domestication is a fascinating book that comes highly recommended. Its synthesis of a large body of research makes it incredibly valuable to evolutionary and developmental biologists, geneticists, anthropologists, and (zoo)archaeologists. However, the writing is accessible enough that (under)graduate students wanting to read up on animal domestication can safely turn to this book as well."—Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist
"This well-referenced, scholarly publication will be valuable primarily for those geneticists, embryologists, comparative anatomists, and evolutionary biologists chiefly interested in the multifaceted issues and history associated with animal domestication."—D.A. Brass, CHOICE
"[This book] covers all of the major topics in domestication and really does give an excellent overview of the subject . . . . I would absolutely recommend this book to those with a passing interest in the field, as well as a more specialised readership."—Dominic Wright, Trends in Ecology & Evolution
"[The Process of Animal Domestication] will be the go-to publication on animal domestication for years to come. I salute what I believe is a superb job—highly recommended!"—Frank E. Zachos, Mammalian Biology
"This impressive tour de force summarizes a phenomenal volume of literature to provide a comprehensive and completely up-to-date view of all the big questions that pertain to animal domestication. I can’t think of another book on this subject that unites so much information from so many disparate fields, and does so in such a concise and easily digestable way."—Greger Larson, University of Oxford
"This significant book presents, in highly readable fashion, truly massive amounts of information and scholarship on domestication: what it is, how it happens, and how can it be profitably studied to learn new biology. I know of no comparable book, in either comprehensiveness or accessibility."—Ross D. E. MacPhee, author of End of the Megafauna
“Using concrete examples and conceptual, methodological, and theoretical explanations, Sánchez-Villagra provides a complete view of domestication along with well-referenced insights into the latest findings on domesticated species and their history. This book is a must-read for anyone needing an informed and synthetic view on this subject.”—Allowen Evin, Institute of Evolutionary Science of Montpellier
