Domestication

The domestication process of an animal can be defined as the process in which captive animals are adapted to an environment provided by humans (Price 2002). Historically, during domestication of different species, reduced fearfulness towards humans were likely to be the most important and desired trait. Thus, the animals displaying reduced fearfulness were easier to handle and were thereby intentionally bred on, consequently leading to a first step in domestication and thereby a change in selection pressure followed.

The nature of the domestication processes includes major differences in the living conditions of the animals when comparing wild and captive individuals. They are are provided feed and shelter by humans, where limited space is common. Predator pressure is often minimized and the captive animals must also often tolerate larger population densities than their wild relatives. Under those living conditions, man induces a forced change in behaviour and an altered selection pressure in the captive animals. This change has led to changes in morphology, physiology and behaviour.

Chickens

The wild-derived progenitor of the domestic chicken  is considered to be the red junglefowl   and several domesticated populations seem to have arisen independently in different parts of Asia when the domestication process was initiated around 8000 years ago.

The wild red junglefowl are known to live in social groups with a strict hierarchy, or pecking order. Earlier studies have assessed clear behaviour differences between the red junglefowl and domesticated breeds of chickens, for instance in general fearfullnes and sociality. Also the morpological differences are obvious.

Aim

The aim of the study was to evaluate potential changes in the social behaviour towards conspecifics in red junglefowl selected for tameness towards humans.

Behavioural differences between males and females were also investigated.