The Reindeer and Its Domestication #269546

The first and most prominent fact about the domesticated reindeer is that it is entirely lacking in aboriginal America (the artificial introduction into Alaska is of very recent date), and represents an exclusive cultural property of the Old World. North America abounds in wild reindeer (known as caribou) and elk or moose; but the native population onlyflhunted these animals, and nevermade any endeavor to domesticate them. Consequently the old-world domestication cannot be a priori of very ancient date, but was accomplished only at a late time, when the population of America was settled. This consideration will be amply con firmed by the history of the domestication.