Geographical distribution of domestic animals: a historical perspective

Summary Our understanding of the history of animal domestication has been built on regular input from archaeozoology. This fast-expanding discipline uses increasingly sophisticated and specialised tools to enhance our knowledge of phenomena dating back, for the oldest species, to the Neolithic Revolution. This article takes three examples, those of the domestic dog, domestic goat and European rabbit, to illustrate the history of three different domestication processes using the contemporary means available. In each of the three cases, the authors define the location of original domestication, analyse the principal routes of species movements following domestication, discuss the possible reasons for domestication and suggest a few likely epidemiological impacts.