Posted by Quan on December 15, 2006 at 17:42:02:
Did the title catch your eye! Here is the theory on how our best friend, the dog, was responsible for humans leaping out of millions of years of stone age culture. Since that time we have rapidly ascended in 'civilization' with all its good and bad points.
Domestication of the dog occured at about the same period archaeologists know as the 'Mesolithic.' During this time, rather more advanced hunting tools were made. Hunting is one of the keys to human advancement. The domesticated dog was an invaluable hunting partner. Before the dog, humans depended much more on gathering foods like plants, fruits and mollusks. Hunting was too demanding and produced little in terms of daily food.
The dog was like a dream-send for the hunter. Capable of detecting, tracking and bringing to bay prey, and sometimes able to complete the entire job. Because of the dog, humans were able to expand more from the coast and waterways were they depended on shellfish for protein.
Nearly every hunter-gatherer people that survived into modern times depended on the dog for success.
Because of the dog, people had more time on their hands for things like simple gardening -- the transplanting of trees and plants or aboriculture. They could experiment more with their tools because they did not have to spend all their time hunting.
Dogs also provided the model for domestication of other animals as the dog was the first domesticated animal. The new domesticates provided further food and other products that humans used.
In some cases, dogs helped to herd the new domesticates. Humans had a relatively good life compared to their predecessors and more leisure time in which they came to discover the propagation of plants. Thus, agriculture eventually was born!
Agriculture is really the beginning of civilization and the dog made it possible. The dog also played a role in helping humans store agricultural products by guarding against rats, mice and other invaders.
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