| Summary: | Domestication is the result of a separation of a species from its natural ecological context, its integration into the human household and modification under anthropogenic-driven pressures. Currently, artificial selection is regarded as just one of several driving forces of evolution, which, to our opinion, does not appropriately consider the anthropogenic dimension in domestication. Here, we try to reconstruct the history of biological approaches to the phenomenon of domestication, including Linnaean rank-based categories and Darwin's use of domesticates to provide evidence for natural selection. Using mammals as an example, we highlight the importance of the biological species concept and the concept of phylogenetic systematics to fully address the nature of domestication. While speciation (A→B) is only complete, if species B is reproductively isolated from species A, domestication leads to a transformation of a species A into an anthropogenic-driven entity (“form”) still part of that species (A→A). By further developing a thinking coined by the “Kiel school” during the previous century, we provide additional arguments for a differentiated view on speciation and domestication (e.g. temporal and numerical dimension). On this basis, we reflect on shortcomings resulting from a lack of discrimination between speciation and domestication and the consequences for phylogenetic systematics (e.g. domesticated mammals as “crown groups” in evolutionary cladograms), ecology (e.g. “de-domestication” and “rewilding”) and animal husbandry (“species-specific” requirements of domesticated mammals). Since the tremendous imbalance regarding the impact of a few (anthropogenic-driven) forms compared to that of numerous (naturally evolved) species is highly influential for the current global biodiversity crisis, reconsidering the nature of domestication is necessary to adequately approach and address the extent of the human impact on biodiversity on a global scale. Our approach leads to the realization that the cultural influence on a biological phenomenon should result in a more responsible treatment of domesticated animals and more sustainable approaches to livestock husbandry and agricultural land use in general. Keywords: Anthropogenic-driven entity, Biological species concept, Domestication, Evolution, Mammals, Human-wildlife conflicts, Phylogenetic systematics
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