![]() ![]() There are only about 14 animals on the planet that meet such qualifications-the 14 animals that have been domesticated since ancient times. Put together, Diamond’s qualifications result in a small list of animals that are efficient to maintain in captivity (1, 2, 3), and easy for humans to control (4, 5, 6). Diamond mentions Yali, a New Guinean politician interested in the history of his country and the colonization of New Guinea. ![]() ![]() 6) The animal must be used to herding (i.e., being controlled by a pack leader) in the wild. Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary The book begins with a preface in which Diamond claims that the main purpose of his text is to explain why different countries developed in different manners. 5) The animal must not have a tendency to panic in danger. 4) The animal must not have a “nasty” disposition (as zebras do). Twenty years ago a UCLA place instructor called Jared Ruby launched Defense, Germs, and likewise Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. 3) The animal must be comfortable breeding in captivity. It’s more efficient to raise an herbivore or omnivore. To raise a carnivorous animal in captivity, you would have to track down smaller animals to feed it, and you’d have to feed those smaller animals, too. Diamond goes over some of the qualities: 1) The animal cannot be carnivorous. Why only 14 domesticable species? We return to the Anna Karenina principle: there’s a short, specific list of qualities that make animals domesticable, and the vast majority of animals, even large mammals, don’t make the cut. ![]()
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