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]