Humans have been capturing, breeding and using other animal species since the end of the Pleistocene. Dogs were the first to be domesticated, used for protection and hunting in the Middle East about 12,000 years ago. Goats were raised in the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago, followed by pigs and sheep in Turkey-Syria a thousand years later. Cattle were domesticated from northern Africa to India 8000 years ago; cats entered households in Egypt and chickens were first raised in Southeast Asia about the same time.
The horse, so important to the advance of human culture, was first used by humans in central Asia about 6000 years ago, followed by donkeys and camels across northern Africa and the Middle East 500 years later. Ducks were bred in Southeast Asia 5000 years ago, tribes in the Andes domesticated guinea pigs 4500 years ago and turkeys were raised in Mexico by 100 AD.
Europeans domesticated honey bees about 500 AD and rabbits by 1500 AD. Of course, a host of other species have been housed and "trained" in zoos and circuses.
All of this domestication, while often vital to the development of human civilization, has been of benefit to man alone and, as we all know, many animals have endured suffering and abuse along the way. Only our pampered, modern pets, which are engineered and unnatural species, have shared in the benefits.
