Summary
This paper argues that domesticated goats develop and maintain feeding traditions through matrilineal social learning rather than genetic or environmental mechanisms alone. Drawing on comparative evidence from primate culture research, the authors contend that post-domestication nutritional constraints—particularly exposure to browse rich in plant secondary compounds—have driven the evolution of cultural transmission of foraging behaviours. The paper identifies multiple pathways of maternal learning (passive and active) as foundational to goat feeding traditions and their persistence within herds.
Regional applicability
The study's theoretical framework on social learning in pastoral systems may be applicable to United Kingdom goat farming, particularly in mixed and browsing-based systems, though no UK-specific data or conditions are discussed. The implications for herd management practices and browse utilisation could inform pastoral grazing strategies in the UK context.
Key measures
Social learning patterns, feeding behaviour transmission mechanisms, matrilineal tradition pathways (in utero conditioning, perinatal microbiome colonization, milk flavours, pre- and post-weaning learning)
Outcomes reported
The study identifies feeding behaviours susceptible to social transmission in domesticated goats, rules out non-social (genetic and environmental) explanations, and demonstrates that matrilineal traditions enable goats to safely forage on plants rich in plant secondary compounds. The authors argue that domestication has encouraged rather than eroded social learning and cultural transmission of foraging practices.
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