What traits were favored in early domestic yaks through artificial selection, contrasting with natural selection on wild yaks?
Answer
Docility, high milk production, and robust work capacity.
The pressures driving the evolution of the wild yak favored characteristics necessary for pure survival, such as defense mechanisms, camouflage, and the ability to endure extreme cold and low oxygen levels. In contrast, the domestication process shifted the selective criteria entirely toward human utility. Pastoralists actively selected for traits that made handling easier and productivity higher. Therefore, desirable traits included docility, making the animals trainable and safe to manage; high milk production, essential for nutrition; and robust work capacity, allowing them to serve as draught animals for transport across rugged terrain.
Related Questions
What critical physiological trait allows yaks to scavenge oxygen efficiently in thin air?When was evidence suggesting the creation of a "super yak" through early selective breeding estimated to occur?How does the wild yak (*Bos mutus*) differ physically from its domesticated relative (*Bos grunniens*)?Relative to domestic cattle, what key anatomical feature characterizes the yak respiratory system for high-altitude survival?Beyond providing milk, meat, and fiber, what essential resource do yaks supply to pastoralists in treeless regions?Which species is commonly used as a reference point when identifying regions of the yak genome under strong positive selection?What primarily drove the explosion of diversity seen in coat color, size variation, and temperament in modern yak herds?What rough timeframe is cited for the genetic split between the wild yak lineage and the domestic yak lineage?What term is used to describe the hybrid offspring resulting from the interaction between domestic yaks and cattle?What traits were favored in early domestic yaks through artificial selection, contrasting with natural selection on wild yaks?