Final answer:
Humans began the process of domestication around 12,000 years ago with the adoption of agriculture and the domestication of animals. This transition enabled a sedentary lifestyle, leading to societal changes and increased cooperation among humans, suggesting a form of self-domestication alongside the domestication of other species.
Step-by-step explanation:
When examining the domestication of humans, it is understood that approximately 12,000 years ago, certain populations of Homo sapiens began to adopt agriculture, marking the transition to a settled way of life. This Neolithic Age was characterized by the cultivation of plants such as wheat and barley, and the domestication of various animals, evolving human societies significantly. This shift from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to agriculture and animal domestication allowed for more stable food sources, population growth, and the rise of permanent settlements.
The concept that humans could have domesticated themselves, alongside plants and animals, is fascinating. As humans settled into agricultural communities, traits like docility and cooperativeness were likely favored, as they were beneficial for the cooperative nature of farming and living in increasingly larger groups. This self-domestication contributed to changes in our social behaviors, making modern humans less aggressive and more cooperative than our ancient ancestors.
In conclusion, human domestication is not just about the control and breeding of other species, but also about the adaptation and potential self-domestication of human beings to better fit into the new sedentary, agricultural way of life that began around 12,000 years ago.