“MAN’S BEST FRIEND?” Student Organizer Answer Key
	What is this animal going to eat?	Will it provide a lot of meat?	Will it provide sufficient quality and quantity of milk for humans? 	Can this species be easily herded?	Can it do work for humans?	
Wild Dogs	Meat. 	No. 	No. Only enough for their puppies.	No. Dogs are independent, and can be trained to herd other animals, but cannot themselves be controlled and moved as a herd.	Yes. They can be used as watchdogs and for herding other animals. 	
Wild Pigs	Pigs are omnivores, but mostly eat grain and other foraged foods which could be hard to find in a grassland.	Yes. 	No. The “runt of the litter” sometimes starves to death because it isn’t big and aggressive enough to fight for milk—an example of “survival of the fittest.”	No. Pigs need to be kept in enclosed spaces, ideally with a lot of mud (scarce in grassland) to keep them cool as they lack sweat glands.	No.	
Deer	Grass. 	Yes.	No. They don’t produce much, and they’re difficult to milk because they flee from humans.	No. Deer are fast and have a highly developed flight instinct.
	No.	
Cows	Grass.	Yes. 	Yes. Calves can be weaned off of milk and fed grass at an early age, leaving more milk for human consumption. Their milk is also of higher nutritional content than that of other mammals.	Yes. Cattle are slow and easily herded.	Yes. Cattle can be harnessed as a draught animal.