Traditionally, a major role in our history has been attributed to the horse as an instrument of war and thus as a means of conquering and colonizing regions. Domestication of this animal species would have ensured that tribes that mastered the art of horsemanship became dominant in our regions. At least as important, however, if not more so, is the domestication of the bovine. It provides an additional source of food in that plants, indigestible to humans, mainly grasses, are converted by cattle into nutritious meat and milk. Their milk production, however small, gave a selective advantage to people who possessed the genetically determined trait of lactose tolerance. We still find this reflected in its prevalence in today's population. The second part illustrates the important role of horses in Northwestern Europe as a draught force.
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