Why weren’t zebras ever domesticated? Baron Rothschild frequently drove a carriage pulled by zebras through the streets of 19th-century London. In “Guns, Germs and Steel,” Jared Diamond says the reason zebras were not domesticated is that they are extraordinarily vicious and will bite and not let go. But why weren’t people able to modify this temperament if they were able to gentle wolves into dogs? [OUT OF COPYRIGHT/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE]
Once you’ve got houses nd donkeys, why bother with zebras? Once you can have sirloin and rack of lamb, why bother with wildebeest? The success of domestication creates its own limits. It works so well, we don’t need additional grain, fruits, vegetables or meats.
I disagree about the first plant cultivation. I think that, at a much earlier date, man would have domesticated fruit trees such as olives, figs, and apples. Where the seeds fell, there would be seedings that could be transplanted. Also, many trees send out shoots which can also be transplanted. And we have known for quite a while that cuttings can be used to grow new trees.
As far as I am concerned, each of these steps are far less difficult to learn than grain domestication.
My Grandfather had a horse called Pinto Pete only he could ride him. Pete had a wall eye, a roman nose, and a nasty temper, nearly killed my cousin and broke my fathers thumb.
My Grand Dad, a very big and strong man, wore a set of black leather gloves, when riding, and every time Pete turned to bite him he hit him right between the eyes with all of his strength.
When Pete saw Grand Pa was going to be the rider he became a lap dog.
Because those were the plants that tasted good and weren't overly difficult to grow. As for the animals, try milking a jaguar. Seriously, it would be too hard to breed a deer that couldn't jump a fence, or to build fences that would hold them. Additionally, venison bacon sucks.
Plant domestication could easily be lost. Every farming family used to have their own variety of grain passed down through the generations. However once the railways were introduced the grain was placed into rail cars and homogenization was forced to keep from having so many different varieties mixed together. The world lost tens of thousands of varieties of grain from this one change in infrastructure!
The book “Guns, Germs and Steel” devotes a chapter explaining why some plants were easier to domesticate then other. And why some were never domesticated.
Also discussed why some animals were never domesticated.
Didn’t seem to complicated when he got done explaining it.
Compare a Prime Beef Steak to venison and you'll see what I mean.
Don't get me wrong, Venison is great. But it's not prime beef either.
It’s just wrong that to get money for very valid and interesting research some “climate change” angle seems necessary.
It's the stripes.
Zebras just don't see themselves as part of civilized society.
![Why weren’t zebras ever domesticated? Baron Rothschild frequently drove a carriage pulled by zebras through the streets of 19th-century London. In “Guns, Germs and Steel,” Jared Diamond says the reason zebras were not domesticated is that they are extraordinarily vicious and will bite and not let go. But why weren’t people able to modify this temperament if they were able to gentle wolves into dogs? [OUT OF COPYRIGHT/CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE]](https://news.wustl.edu/news/PublishingImages/475pxWalterRothschildWithZebras.jpg)