Though dogs are so close genetically to wolves that many taxonomists consider them to be a subspecies, most people wouldn’t let a wolf lick their hand as readily as a Shih Tzu. When animals are ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. A domesticated animal is one that has been bred and adapted ...

Many domestic animals can prosper in the wild despite having adapted to thousands of years in captivity. This phenomenon offers an interesting window into the process of adaptation to natural ...

Domesticating horses had a huge impact on human society—new science rewrites where and when it first happened Across human history, no single animal has had a deeper impact on human societies than the ...

In the 19th century, Charles Darwin was one of the first to notice something interesting about domesticated animals: different species often developed similar changes when compared to their ancient ...

The origins of domestic cats, and their travels with ancient humans, are as enigmatic as the animals themselves. But now, scientists have found new evidence supporting the idea that the unfathomable ...

Big, soulful eyes, a wagging tail, and playful cuddles are a pet parent’s ultimate weakness. These heartwarming traits are not by chance: Shaped by domestication, these behavioral and anatomical ...

"The first modern scholarly synthesis of animal domestication Across the globe and at different times in the past millennia, the evolutionary history of domesticated animals has been greatly affected ...

Jada is a 1-year-old domestic shorthair with tortoise-shell coloring. She has been at the Humane Society of Richland County ...