The history of musk-ox domestication
Abstract
If one is sufficiently bold or foolish to ask why the musk-ox Ovibos moschatus was domesticated, even a superficial review of the available evidence suggests that several answers may be given, depending upon the viewpoint from which the question is posed. I have argued elsewhere (Wilkinson, 1972a; 1973) that the domestication of the musk-ox was inevitable if the exploitation of musk-oxen was to continue in the present century. Because of certain biological and behavioural characteristics, musk-oxen can be exploited in only two ways without endangering their survival or exceeding their capacity to regenerate their numbers: they may be hunted as what I have called a critical resource, by which I mean a resource that is not exploited regularly (including seasonally) or intensively, but without which human survival is difficult or impossible incertain areas and periods; alternatively, musk-oxen may be exploited on a sustained basis for a combination of meat, milk, robes, or qiviur through domestication. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that, as a general rule, musk-oxen were hunted as a critical resource before the arrival of Europeans in the Canadian Arctic.
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Muskox domestication has been attempted but has not yet succeeded.
“Although muskox domestication has been attempted, it has not yet succeeded149–151.”
From Chromosomal-level reference genome assembly of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) from Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic, a resource for conservation genomics (2024) · cites this paper as [149]
Efforts to domesticate muskox were too small-scale and brief to allow selection for particular traits, although the muskox became tame.
“Efforts were too small-scale and brief to allow the selection for particular traits, although the muskox became tame.”
From Chromosomal-level reference genome assembly of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) from Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic, a resource for conservation genomics (2024) · cites this paper as [149]
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Lok, S., Lau, T. N. H., Trost, B., Tong, A. H. Y., Paton, T., Wintle, R. F., Engstrom, M. D., Gunn, A., & Scherer, S. W. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-67270-9 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Although muskox domestication has been attempted, it has not yet succeeded 149–151 .”
Background
- Authors
- Wilkinson, P. F.
- Corresponding author
- Wilkinson, Paul F.
- Venue
- Polar Record
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1974-01
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 106
- Pages
- 13-22
- ISSN
- 0032-2474 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-3057
- OpenAlex
- W2142606905
- Cited by
- 4
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 3.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Polar Record (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Geographies of human-animal interactions
- Keywords
- Ovibos moschatus, domestication, hunting, animal husbandry, Canadian Arctic, Inuit, subsistence
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