When were animals first domesticated?

Animals were domesticated around 12,000 years ago.

What was the first animal thought to be domesticated?

The wolf (dog) is the first animal thought to be domesticated.

How did domestication of animals affect people's lives?

Domestication of animals encouraged a shift from a hunter-gatherer society to a pastoral-agricultural community of permanent settlements. The Agricultural Revolution of 10,000 BCE and the domestication of animals is considered the beginning of civilization.

Where did animal husbandry begin?

Animal husbandry most likely began in Mesopotamia but is also thought to have started independently elsewhere.

Animal Husbandry Timeline

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Definition

Animal husbandry is commonly defined as a branch of agriculture dealing with the domestication, breeding, and rearing of animals for various purposes including labor (as in the case of large animals), a food source, protection, and companionship (as with dogs, primarily), and a source of material goods such as hides and bones, used for clothing and tools.

More about: Animal Husbandry

Timeline

c. 12000 BCE - 10000 BCE
Domestication of dogs and cats already taken place
7700 BCE
First domesticated wheats in the Fertile Crescent.
7000 BCE
Domestication of goats.
7000 BCE
A decline in the finds of gazelle bones suggest that domesticated animals were eaten more frequently due to a depletion of wild game.
6700 BCE
Domestication of sheep.
6500 BCE
Domestication of pigs.

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