Chapter 5— ORIGIN OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 

 AND CULTIVATED PLANTS 



(a) — Origin of Domesticated Animals 



Dog.— It is probable that the dog was the first animal 

 to be domesticated. Its origin is not definitely known, but 

 as the wolf, the jackal, and the fox are close relatives it is 

 believed he may have arisen from one or more of these wild 

 forms. By man's selection the numerous breeds of to-day 

 have gradually been developed. 



Horse. — The wild form of the horse is also unknown. 

 He probably developed in the plains of Central Asia and was 

 domesticated by some tribe of the district. The ancestry of 

 of the horse has been determined from fossil bones found in 

 the rocks of Western United States. These remains show 

 its evolution from a small five-toed animal the sizs of a 

 rabbit up though a larger three-toed form to the still larger 

 one-toed form like that of to-day. 



Since his domestication the various breeds of horses 

 have beeen developed by the selection of those forms that 

 suited the fancy of man. Modern horses are no doubt 

 larger, stronger and swifter than their undomesticated 

 ancestors. 



Cattle. — The origin of the chief breeds of European and 

 America n cattle is rather uncertain, but it is now believed 

 that t hey are descended from two original types — the Bos 

 primi genius or aurochs, and the Bos sondaicus, the former 

 being large and powerful and long horned, the latter be- 

 ing much smaller and short horned. It is probable that the 

 domestication of cattle began in Asia in pre-historic times, 

 and that these numerous breeds were taken to Europe dur- 

 ing the great migrations. 



From the aurochs, it is believed, are descended the 

 Holstein, Hereford, Scotch Highland, white cattle of Chart- 

 ley, long-haired Hungarian and spotted Swiss breeds; and 

 from the Bos sondaicus the Channel and the Brown Swiss 

 breeds. The Shorthorns and the Ayrshires are probably a 

 mixture of the two original types. 



The Indian or Hindu humped cattle had their origin in 

 a wild form {Bos indicus) that still inhabits the hilly coun- 

 try on the slopes of the Himalayas. 



With the exception of the Holstein-Friesian, the 

 Erench-Canadian and the Brown Swiss, American breeds of 

 cattle are of British origin. For several hundred years 



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