Specific Biological and Behavioral Obstacles to Animal Domestication

Key Insight

Several biological and behavioral traits disqualify most wild mammal species from domestication. Economically, the animal's diet and growth rate are crucial. Carnivores are impractical for food production due to the inefficient 10% conversion rate of biomass at each trophic level; for instance, producing 1000 pounds of carnivore meat requires 100000 pounds of plant food. While dogs (omnivores, fed on vegetables/garbage) were food animals in some deprived societies, widespread reliance on carnivores is rare. Furthermore, domesticates must grow quickly. Animals like gorillas or elephants, which take 15 years to reach adult size, are too slow-growing for ranching; taming wild adults is more cost-effective for work purposes.

Problems with captive breeding are another significant hurdle. Many valuable species, such as cheetahs, despite being highly prized for hunting, rarely breed in captivity because their complex and extensive courtship rituals are inhibited in confined spaces. Similarly, vicuñas, whose wool is highly valued, cannot be bred in captivity due to specific courtship needs, male aggression, and requirements for both feeding and sleeping territories. A 'nasty disposition' also renders many species unsuitable. While all large mammals can be dangerous, some, like grizzly bears, African buffalo, hippos, onagers, and zebras, are incurably aggressive. Zebras, for example, become unpredictably dangerous with age, bite without releasing, and are exceptionally difficult to lasso, making them unsuited for riding or draft work.

An animal's 'tendency to panic' under perceived threats, characterized by instant flight, is a major barrier. Nervous species like gazelles, when confined, often panic, injure themselves against enclosures, or die from shock. Such animals are impossible to herd or manage. Conversely, successful domesticates typically originate from wild ancestors that live in herds, exhibit a clear dominance hierarchy, and occupy overlapping home ranges. This social structure allows humans to assume the role of the dominant leader, enabling effective herding. Herd animals like sheep, goats, and cows imprint on humans as leaders and tolerate crowded conditions. Solitary or territorial species, as well as herd animals lacking a defined dominance hierarchy or becoming territorial during breeding (e.g., most deer and antelope, rhinos), resist human control and are generally undomesticable.