Can be found here:
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/history.html#domestication
including
>One popular notion is the ferret was domesticated by the Egyptians,
>but this idea has little evidence to support it. Considering the
>rich and varied faunal remains and mummies recovered in Egypt [but
>no ferret remains], and the lack of European or steppe polecats
>within that region, it is probably untrue.
I do not know if there is new and reputable data since that page was
last edited.
Also, there is a section also by Bob Church on ferret domestication
and I suspect on carnivore domestication in general since that provides
a lot of data in the new (second edition) of John Lewington's _Ferret
Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery_
Right now I am awaiting my comp copy because I did an extensive
annotated bibliography of a number of recent genetics studies for it;
John just wrote last week to verify my snail mail addy. Since my 93
year old father is developing age related dementia (In multiple
resources that I could find, half of the age cohorts have some degree
of dementia by age 85, and 80% have some degree by age 90.) I am hoping
that the book gets here before Dad is too far gone because he will get
a kick from seeing me credited, so that would be a kindness which would
mean a lot.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 5651]
