THE RECORD
What changed
Management of sheep, goats, cattle and pigs expanded in Southwest Asia. Timing and geography differed by species, and hunting overlapped with herding.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Mortality profiles, body-size change, isotopes and ancient DNA trace human selection and movement.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Relationships first centred on meat later extended to milk, fibre and traction, changing land use and mobility.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
The metaphor of a walking food store obscures disease, fodder, labour and animal agency.