Richard C. Francis

Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World Richard C. Francis

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Review Quotes: There's nothing tame about Richard Francis's latest book. Indeed, domestication is one of the most spectacularly important and fascinating transformations in the history of animal life. I have been waiting a long time for the definitive take on the topic, and finally it is here. Francis goes wide and deep in this wonderful, well-written book. --Christine Kenneally, author of The Invisible History of the Human Race"Review Quotes: An effective primer on molecular genetics and the field of evolutionary development Francis s ability to weave in interesting asides keeps the text thought provoking. "Publisher Marketing: We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization the Middle East is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate association with humans. Before the agricultural revolution, there were perhaps 10 million humans on earth. Now there are more than 7 billion of us. Our domesticated species have also thrived, in stark contrast to their wild ancestors. In a human-constructed environment or man-made world it pays to be domesticated. Domestication is an evolutionary process first and foremost. What most distinguishes domesticated animals from their wild ancestors are genetic alterations resulting in tameness, the capacity to tolerate close human proximity. But selection for tameness often results in a host of seemingly unrelated by-products, including floppy ears, skeletal alterations, reduced aggression, increased sociality, and reduced brain size. It's a package deal known as the domestication syndrome. Elements of the domestication syndrome can be found in every domesticated species not only cats, dogs, pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses but also more recent human creations, such as domesticated camels, reindeer, and laboratory rats. That domestication results in this suite of changes in such a wide variety of mammals is a fascinating evolutionary story, one that sheds much light on the evolutionary process in general. We humans, too, show signs of the domestication syndrome, which some believe was key to our evolutionary success. By this view, human evolution parallels the evolution of dogs from wolves, in particular. A natural storyteller, Richard C. Francis weaves history, archaeology, and anthropology to create a fascinating narrative while seamlessly integrating the most cutting-edge ideas in twenty-first-century biology, from genomics to evo-devo." Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 03/02/2015 (EAN 9780393064605, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2015 (EAN 9780393064605, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Library Journal 04/01/2015 pg. 113 (EAN 9780393064605, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 05/01/2015 pg. 67 (EAN 9780393064605, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Francis, Richard C Richard C. Francis is a science journalist with a PhD in neurobiology from Stony Brook University. He is the author of the acclaimed books Epigenetics and Why Won t Men Ask for Directions? Francis currently resides in northern California.