Domesticated: Unlocking inter-species integration via biomolecules

Over the last two decades, archaeological research across north-central Asia has led to a clarification of the timing of the introduction of domesticated animals and plants. As economies in this region shifted from foraging to the use of ruminant livestock, to horse dairying and riding, and finally to the cultivation of grains, these marked major thresholds in human history. As part of my forthcoming book, a new model is proposed for the stages of integration of cultivated species into societies—from the initial introduction of domesticated animals or plants to their acceptance, solidification or complete incorporation, and finally intensification. The delineation of these varied stages depends on novel biomolecular techniques to refine these broader narratives, including proteomics, ancient DNA, and isotopic analyses. Resulting findings suggest that there were multiple trajectories and timelines for cooperation between species, as domestic species were integrated into societies there were shifts in landscape use, knowledge systems, and the structures of social systems that encompassed cultivated species.