Selects: How Animal Domestication Works

In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating science behind how humans have domesticated animals over thousands of years, discovering that it's far more selective and complex than you might think. They break down the six specific criteria an animal must meet to be domesticable (spoiler: most animals don't qualify), trace the origins of our favorite domesticated species from different parts of the world, and uncover how artificial selection has dramatically transformed wild animals into the pets and livestock we know today. Along the way, you'll learn why zebras are dangerously aggressive, how a Russian scientist spent decades turning foxes into dogs, and why cats might not technically be domesticated at all—plus some wild details about horses, pigs, and why guinea pigs were originally bred for food in South America.