Why Can’t All Animals Be Domesticated?

Over 15,000 years ago humans began to domesticate animals. But why did we only domesticate certain animals? Domestication generally requires a specific combination of genetic traits and behavioral habits that not many species possess. Animals that mature faster are easier to breed selectively. For example, pigs reach maturity after just eight months compared to an elephant, which takes nearly 15 years to reach adulthood. Alongside this, Humans are not always reliable caretakers. Animals that can survive in a variety of conditions, such as eating in a field or eating leftover meat, are more likely to survive around humans. Some animals also have naturally different temperaments. A less aggressive animal that tends towards a herd mentality is generally easier to domesticate over time. Finally, the species must be able to breed successfully in captivity. Lots of animals were not domesticated because they could not reproduce in human-controlled environments.