Recently, an episode of Animals Like Us aired on tv the other day. If you're not familiar with the documentary/series, it is a 10 episode program that highlights the separation that cultures or religions have attempted to establish between humans and animals. The documentary uncovers familiar topics seen in human society, but are rather perceived as foreign in the animal kingdom. This ranges from animal politics and language, to animal homosexuality and medicine.
Interestingly, the documentary reveals that perhaps baboons beat us to the domestication of our furry, tail wagging best friends.
Looks cruel, right? The dogs, though suffering from a rocky start, are finally a part of the family and enjoy its pleasures. My infant days hold shades of similarity of when my parents dragged me down flights of stairs by my feet, and I think I turned out alright too.
The video raises questions about dog domestication, most intriguing in my opinion: Did humans evolve alongside animal domestication, beginning with our primate roots? Or maybe, did animal domestication arose separately from humans and primates? While humans may own dogs for different reasons than baboons, the core of the man's best friend partnership is a mutualistic relationship where dogs serve as protectors in exchange for acceptance by the family.
Additionally, the observation of animals aside from humans being able to domesticate canines highlights how complex animal societies are than they first appear to be. Science is continuously surprised by animal behavior and its similarities compared to the human experience,as evidenced by how confused and amazed we are by some of the shit we see in the wild. If we really want to broaden our view and include our microbe friends, then humans are really unoriginal and uninspiring. If the tree of life held a dinner party, we would be this guy:
Animals Like Us is worth the watch. Unfortunately, it's not on netflix streaming, but a quick search online for episodes will provide a bountiful of links. Watch, be enlightened, then sing silent hosannas to the knowledge dropped here.
Biolog is a weekly series that brings to light the controversial, disturbing, fascinating, and thought-provoking topics of molecular and evolutionary biology. Written by biologist Gabe Guzman.
Interesting enunciations about the world from the perspective of Calvin and Chris
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