| Abstract: | The paleontological as well as the archeological record in China is unique in that there is adequate evidence of hominid association with most of the animals that we know today as domesticates beginning at very early dates.
During the last few years advances have been made with studies of the dog, horse, camel, water buffalo, cattle,yak,sheep, goat, pig, and chicken in China. One drawback is that by the time most domestic animals can be dated by recorded history they are quite advanced as domesticates and are quite similar osteologicaly to their modern counterparts.
Generally advanced domestic animals are accompanied by equipment that is associated with domestication. Horse burials are associated with metal bits, bridles or other harness trappings. Not so with camels or yaks. Wooden nose pins replace bits in the former and juniper rings, also placed through the noses of the animals, are used with the latter.
The morphological changes in animal skeletons from wild through time to domestic are so gradual that it is only at the beginning and end of this process that the subtle changes are in evi- dence. In some animals, particularly the camel and elephant, the osteological changes are not specifically evident.
In most cases we really don't have conclusive evidence on which to base the identifications relating to whether the animal represented is male or female or how much individual variation should be considered when examining both sexes of very early species. |
