Cool Potential Domestications

[DValdron]

You know, thinking out loud, humans or hominids are contemporaneous with a lot of funky critters in the Pliocene or Pleistocene. At least some of them might have been potential domesticates.

What would be the most fun?

[Coyote Ragtime]

Bears. You know, for plowing your crops. Not for mauling your enemies or anything. XD

[Thespitron 6000]

Frickin' rhinos.

[DValdron]

Off the top, I'd love to see domesticated Sabre Tooths.

And domesticated Chalicotheres.

Plus Apes. There were some 200 varieties of ape in the Pliocene. Some of them must have been good for something.

Oh, and the Argentine Teratorns.

Domesticated Octopi would be awesome, if we could find a use for them.

[Lt.Gen 767]

Mamoths, possible as evidenced by the domestication of elephants and suited to clearing and later farming northern Canada and Siberia. Just imagine; mamoth farms from Novosibirsk to Newfoundland.

[The Ubbergeek]

Look at the other thread, on american animals..

[The Sandman]

Megatherium.

Glyptodonts.

Giant Tortoises.

Manatees.

Moa. Yes, I know why this one is unlikely to ever work. It would still be cool.

Haast's Eagle.

Moose, which honestly seem like a missed opportunity to me.

There has to be something among the Australian megafauna that would have been useful. Aside from thylacines, assuming that the Aborigines don't bring dingos with them.

Dire wolves.

Honey badgers.

[Color-Copycat]

Moas and elephant birds for sure. I think they'd make a really intriguing meat source, though their carnivorous nature might make domestication a bit difficult.

[Thespitron 6000]

Cassowaries. You could use them as hounds.

[Sicarius]

Giant sloths!

[DValdron]

Originally Posted by Color-Copycat

Moas and elephant birds for sure. I think they'd make a really intriguing meat source, though their carnivorous nature might make domestication a bit difficult.

Uhm, neither of them were actually carnivorous. You might be confusing them with Terror Birds. Diatrama, Phororacos, that bunch.

[oshron]

Originally Posted by DValdron

Uhm, neither of them were actually carnivorous. You might be confusing them with Terror Birds. Diatrama, Phororacos, that bunch.

actually, Gastornis (the proper genus name of Diatryma) wasn't a terror bird [/paleonerdyness]

mastodons would certainly be interesting. imagine Spanish explorers coming upon Amerindian tribesmen riding on the backs of mastodons when they start exploring California

or what about birds of prey, ranging from the fossil species to the current ones, and especially the big ones, like teratorns

[DValdron]

Originally Posted by oshron

actually, Gastornis (the proper genus name of Diatryma) wasn't a terror bird [/paleonerdyness]

Quite correct. But if I saw one running after me, I probably wouldn't be making the fine distinction.

[Color-Copycat]

Originally Posted by DValdron

Uhm, neither of them were actually carnivorous. You might be confusing them with Terror Birds. Diatrama, Phororacos, that bunch.

Oops, seems I was thinking of the wrong continent and era. Terror birds were in South America, right?

[DValdron]

Originally Posted by Color-Copycat

Oops, seems I was thinking of the wrong continent and era. Terror birds were in South America, right?

Yep. I think Gastornis was Eurasia, and about thirty million years earlier. And I think Australia produced a couple of its own terror type birds, including somethng called the 'Demon Duck of Doom.'

[oshron]

Originally Posted by DValdron

Yep. I think Gastornis was Eurasia, and about thirty million years earlier. And I think Australia produced a couple of its own terror type birds, including somethng called the 'Demon Duck of Doom.'

yup on all accounts: Bullockornis is the genus you're thinking of, iirc

[DValdron]

Originally Posted by oshron

yup on all accounts: Bullockornis is the genus you're thinking of, iirc

I love you.

[oshron]

one of the benefits of being a paleo-nerd who also manages an rpg where people travel back in time to rescue animals from extinction and preserve them in a biological park in eastern africa with real-world person Nigel Marven as teh park manager

[Simreeve]

Sivatherium.

[Snake Featherston]

Cheetahs. If you can read this you don't need glasses.