Domestication in the home

[For Prose]

Greeting SF community

 

As I was lovingly petting my dog last night, I began to wonder what other benefits the human species receives from domestication of animals other than those made for labor, food, ect.

 

My main question is this; do so many people keep dogs or cats because it allows for "grooming"? And by grooming, I mean the act of petting, scratching, or any variation thereof.

 

Did our hominid ancestors engage in grooming like many primates do? And if so, could our lack of full body hair create a void; a void that we may only fill with the domestication of other animals who we can still receive that possible hormone release?

 

One other bit of information that I feel relates to this question. I can not speak for the general population, but I know that when my hair (on my head) is played with or "groomed", I feel a sense of release; the same sort of release of feel as I "groome" my dog.

 

Thanks in advance for all responses and opinions.

[chadn737]

Thats a fascinating question. It would explain at some things certainly...

 

The problem is...this is a very hard hypothesis to test...likely near impossible.

[sona_p]

This link might answer your question

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1594

[For Prose]

This link might answer your question

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1594

While an interesting article, I am not as interested in the releases the dog feels, but rather, what, if anything, the release we feel.

[Acme]

While an interesting article, I am not as interested in the releases the dog feels, but rather, what, if anything, the release we feel.

Here's a slide show of 27 benefits humans gain by grooming/petting and otherwise interacting with their domestic pets. I have quoted a caption from just one slide; full banana at the link. While I don't see any references to specific studies the reference to cortisol and serotonin suggest such studies have been done.

 

http://pets.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-pets-improve-your-health

 

Pets Are Natural Mood Enhancers

 

It only takes a few minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim to feel less anxious and less stressed. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that time that make a difference in your mood. The level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered. And the production of serotonin, a chemical associated with well-being, is increased. Reducing stress saves your body wear and tear.

[chadn737]

While pets can have demonstrable effects on human mood, behavior, and even hormone levels....showing that this is an evolved response is quite a difficult matter. Quite frankly it will be near impossible to disentangle it. For instance, one possibility is that such behaviors are a sort of crossover of human behavior towards child care. Meaning, that the evolved behaviors evolved in reality for taking care of children...pets becoming a substitute and essentially hijacking this response.

[Ringer]

While pets can have demonstrable effects on human mood, behavior, and even hormone levels....showing that this is an evolved response is quite a difficult matter. Quite frankly it will be near impossible to disentangle it. For instance, one possibility is that such behaviors are a sort of crossover of human behavior towards child care. Meaning, that the evolved behaviors evolved in reality for taking care of children...pets becoming a substitute and essentially hijacking this response.

Even if it were simply a hijacked response, it doesn't alter the idea of evolutionary selection towards domestication. Unless I'm misunderstanding your point. . .

[chadn737]

Even if it were simply a hijacked response, it doesn't alter the idea of evolutionary selection towards domestication. Unless I'm misunderstanding your point. . .

 

Domestication is a clearly an evolutionary process, regardless of what the reasons for it. But discerning the causes for such changes is difficult indeed...unless it be something obvious, like use as food.