Seeking consensus on the domestication concept

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Archaeology
• Anthropology

Background:

• Plant and animal domestication were pivotal for human civilization, enabling cities and social structures.
• Scholarly consensus remains elusive regarding the initial stages, duration, and human agency in early domestication.
• Distinguishing between biological domestication and cultural cultivation presents ongoing challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine existing definitions of domestication.
• To propose a unified and adaptable definition of domestication.
• To reconcile diverse scholarly viewpoints on the domestication process.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing domestication theories.
• Conceptual analysis of domestication and cultivation.
• Synthesis of multi-disciplinary perspectives.

Main Results:

• Existing definitions of domestication are often tied to specific theoretical stances.
• A need exists for a flexible definition accommodating various models of early domestication.
• Scholarly debate increasingly favors protracted, unconscious models of domestication.

Conclusions:

• A revised definition of domestication is necessary to advance research.
• The proposed definition aims for broad utility across different theoretical frameworks.
• This work contributes to a more cohesive understanding of human-nonhuman co-evolution.