Article : “The ‘Domestication Syndrome’ in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based

Question

Article : “The ‘Domestication Syndrome’ in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based on Neural Crest Cell Behavior and Genetics” by Wilkins, Wrangham and Fitch, Genetics, Vol 197, pp. 795-808, 2014.

Questions

a) What is the ‘Domestication Syndrome’? What traits that are part of the syndrome are intentional targets of the domestication process? What traits are not? Why might animal breeders target the traits that they do?

b) The paper focuses on neural crest cells and tissues derived from them. What is the neural crest? How are so many tissues and organs affected by neural crest cells?

c) The paper presents an explanation for the Domestication Syndrome. Summarize it and give specific details about how neural crest cell proliferation affects each trait.

d)What types of evidence is used to support neural crest cell effects on each of the traits discussed? Why do you think evidence of that type exists (be specific for each trait)?

e)What are the alternative explanations for domestication syndrome (compared to what the paper suggests)? Can it be explained by “relaxed natural selection,” “phenotypic plasticity,” or “gentler living conditions”? How and Why? Come up with some of your own alternative explanations for the syndrome.

f)Suggest ways to test the Neural Crest cell explanation of Domestication Syndrome, and any alternatives you can think of.

Explanation / Answer

Domestication syndrome is a condition where the animals possess an unusual trait which is not found in their ancestors. Animal breeders target the traits in these animals because of it's morphological, physiological traits. Domesticated animals produce increased milk, meat, number of eggs produced will be increased and the quality of wool of sheep gets increased with the varied traits that increase the interest in domesticated animals for the breeders.

Neural crest cells are the specific class stem cells that appear first in the early embryogenesis at the dorsal edge of the neural tube. Many orgas and tissues will be affected by this syndrome as the neural crest cells passes through the cranium and trunk. Tissues gets affected by neural crest cells in all the traits.

Neural crest cells proliferation can be reduced by the type of animals selected for tameness. NCC affect various parts of the body include face, limb extremities, tail and belly midline.

Domestication is he relationship between animals and human where one can have control of animals in which even on the characteristics of animals with the varied traits or genetic difference in it when compared with it's ancestors.

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