Final answer:
Ancient cultures domesticated sheep, goats, chickens, horses, and llamas, benefiting from their products such as milk and hides. The domestication process significantly affected societal development. The domestic fowl is a notable example, valued for its meat, eggs, and feathers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the earliest domesticated animals, sheep and goats were herded in the Near East approximately ten thousand years ago, while chickens were domesticated in south Asia around eight thousand years ago. Horses, which were domesticated in central Asia about six thousand years ago, became crucial for transportation and warfare, while the domestication of llamas around the same time in Peru underpinned the societal development in that region.
The process of animal domestication allowed ancient cultures to benefit from products and by-products such as milk, blood, hides, and more without having to kill the animals, thereby increasing efficiency. This played a significant role in the progression of societies from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to agricultural and pastoralist ones.
Exchange of domesticated species also occurred, with the domestic fowl being one of the most widespread due to its introduction for dietary enhancement as well as for its eggs, feathers, and use in cockfighting. Over time, the mutual dependency between humans and domesticated animals deepened, influencing nutrition, economic practices, and cultural development.