11. Compared to the polecat progenitor, domestication has changed the
digestive system of ferrets:
A) A significant amount. Incorrect.
B) A moderate amount. Incorrect.
C) A minor amount. Incorrect.
D) An insignificant amount. Correct. There is virtually no difference
between the digestive system of ferrets and polecats; domestication has
NOT changed the digestive system of ferrets by ANY significant amount
when compared to polecats.
E) By instilling the ability to produce vastly more fecal bulk than food
consumed. It seemingly breaks the laws of physics.
12. The scientific name for the domesticated ferret is:
A) Mustela putorius. Incorrect. At this point, the progenitor of the
domesticated ferret is unproven, making the use of the scientific name
for the European polecat inappropriate.
B) Mustela putorius furo. Incorrect for the same reasons as A.
C) Mustela furo. Correct. Until or unless the progenitor is accurately
determined, the use of the binomial Mustela furo is appropriate. There
is currently under consideration a petition to make Mustela furo the
official name for the ferret. If the International Commission on
Zoological Nomenclature votes for the resolution, the name will be
official regardless of which species is determined to be the progenitor.
D) Mustela putorius forma furo. Incorrect. The use of the term "forma"
is favored by some scientists to demonstrate a domestication status (a
controversial position), but for the reasons mentioned for A, the use is
inappropriate.
E) Back-of-the-knee nipping demon spawn from hell. My personal
preference.
13. An animal isn't domesticated unless:
A) It's reproduction is controlled by humans. Correct. A criteria of
domestication.
B) It is maintained to fill a human need. Correct. A criteria for
domestication.
C) At least one trait, such as body size, color, or reproduction, has
been exaggerated through human intent. Correct. A criteria for
domestication.
D) It is unable to form feral populations. Incorrect. In the United
States, feral cat, dog, cattle, sheep, horse, chicken, rabbit, and burro
populations exist. All are domesticated and all are feral.
E) It is represented by at least one cute Disney character. Which may
not be a good thing once you realize Disney prejudices children into
viewing some animals as "bad" (snakes, tigers, weasels, rhino, etc.),
while others are "good" (fox, mice, rabbits, dogs, etc.).
14. Generalized public disapproval of ferrets can be traced to:
A) The association of ferreting with poaching. Correct if historic
references are accepted.
B) The Victorian custom of ferret and rat fighting. Correct if historic
references are accepted. It was once considered great fun to fill a
circular pit with rats, drop in a ferret, and see how many rats are
killed in a specific length of time. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the time, the
ferret died of rat bites.
C) The triggering of carnivorous instincts inside poultry sheds.
Correct. Perhaps the most common complaint mentioned in historic
documents.
D) The tendency of ill-handled ferrets to bite in self-defense. Correct
if historic references are accepted.
E) The introduction of chemical rat poisons. Incorrect. While the
introduction of chemical rat poisons rapidly caused the decline of the
ferret farms when using ferrets to bolt rats fell from favor, it had no
real impact on the public perception of ferrets.
F) A lack of education. Correct. While there have always been people
well aware of ferrets and their positive attributes, they have been a
minority in the population as a whole.
G) The concentration of joy per body weight, making ferret ownership too
intense for some wimpy people. Wimps.
15. The suspicion that ferrets suffer genetic disorders caused by
inbreeding is probably attributable to:
A) Initial domestication. Incorrect. Animal husbandry practices have
historically been brutal when it comes to genetically weak individuals,
and weak ferrets would have been culled. The fact that modern
populations of ferrets have very few aliments in their 3-4 years of life
(the natural lifespan of polecats) is strong supporting evidence that
initial domestication didn't cause problems from inbreeding.
B) Breeding practices of large ferret farms. Incorrect. This is a
common misperception that ignores the basic rules of evidence, logic, and
economics.
C) Hobby breeders looking for unusual coloration or increased body size.
Correct. There is a significant correlation between hobby breeders,
fancy breeds and genetic disorders.
D) The initial small size of the United States breeding population.
Incorrect. The breeding population of ferrets in the USA has not
only been large, but it has been frequently augmented by continuous
importation of European ferrets. Moreover, the disease rates of
ferrets from ferret farms approximate those of hobby breeders.
E) A misunderstanding of the diseases of old age. Correct. The majority
of ferret diseases manifest themselves in ferrets older than 3 or 4 years
of age; the upper end of wild polecat lifespan. ALL species have a suite
of diseases that reveal themselves in old age, ferrets being no
exception.
F) A ferret conspiracy to grow large enough to easily consume cats. Or
to just carry them back to their hidey hole.
[2 part post combbined here]
16. Ferrets were domesticated in:
A) Ancient Palestine. Incorrect.
B) Imperial Rome. At least partially correct, but probably not involved
in the initial domestication.
C) Greece. At least partially correct, probably in concert with other
peoples.
D) Egypt. Incorrect.
E) The trans-Mediterranean region, running from northern Morocco, the
Iberian Peninsula, southern Europe, various Mediterranean islands, Italy,
Greece and Mesopotamia. Correct. It is likely many cultures, widespread
over a large region, were involved in the domestication of the ferret.
F) Sacramento, California. Oh wait, the CaCaLand Fishin' Gestapo doesn't
believe ferrets are domesticated....
17. Animals are domesticated in areas were you find:
A) The progenitor species. Correct. Progenitor species are always
present in areas were domesticates are bred.
B) Some economic benefit. Correct. Rules of economics govern historic
domestication.
C) Historical evidence. Correct, assuming the ability of the culture
to create historic documents.
D) Archaeological evidence. Correct, assuming the ability of
zooarchaeologists to isolate newly domesticated animals from their
progenitors.
E) Raisins, kibble and corners. I think corners are paramount.
18. Juvenilization is an artifact of domestication where:
A) Juvenile physical traits are preserved into adulthood. Correct.
B) Juvenile behavioral traits persist into adulthood. Correct.
C) Juvenile sexual traits are preserved into adulthood. Correct.
D) Juvenile teeth remain in the jaws. Incorrect.
E) Ferrets become juvenile delinquents and loiter around corners. Maybe
litter around corners.
19. The difficulty of tracing ferret domestication can be at least
partially attributed to:
A) A lack of archaeological remains. Correct. Very few archaeological
remains have confirmed remains of ferrets.
B) A deficiency of historical documents. Incorrect. There are numerous
historic materials documenting the use and breeding of ferrets.
C) A plethora of conjectural statements forming a domestication
mythology. Correct. Few ideas have delayed the investigation of
ferret domestication as much as the idea it was done by Egyptians.
D) A shortage of investigators and scientific interest. Correct. No
interest, no investigation.
E) Efforts to hide the background of ferrets by the Weasel Protection
Agency. Only in CaCaLand.
20. Domestication:
A) creates new traits. Incorrect. Domestication shifts the frequency of
genes, influencing the phenotype of the animal.
B) Exaggerates or minimizes existing traits. Correct.
C) Only shifts the frequency of existing traits. Correct.
D) Is caused by a few genotypic changes having profound and widespread
phenotypic expression. Correct. Most of the traits of domestication can
be traced to timing alterations in the development of the brain.
E) Is a myth; it's all evolution, Baby! The domesticator's motto? Get
involved, Evolve!
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4062]
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