Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Lokman Hekim Tıp Tarihi ve Folklorik Tıp Dergisi

Öz

In researches on the history of civilization, the change from hunter-gatherer livelihood to"food production” is emphasized as a turning point. This transition period that lasted approximately 500 years has also been called as “Neolithic Revolution”. The act of “supplying food” lies at the basis of forming early human groups cooperation. In order to sustain their existence on the earth, humankind had to solve three basic problems related with each other, namely "nourishment", "defense" and "reproduction", as a result of which cooperation among individuals of human groups was developed and solidarity was increased. Especially domestication of animals and plants has rendered abundance possible, hence population increased and life became more balanced and stable. It could be argued that food-producing economy which began in the Neolithic period has made "animal farming" mankind’s oldest livelihood. It is clear that approaches and practices in this basic field of occupation are quite different from the starting level today. In fact, industrial animal farming has become a profitable and rational business, in which animals are now kept for the purpose of manufacturing in a controlled environment. The aim of this paper is to examine evolutionary development of human-animal interactions in the context of the animal husbandry.