Greyhound Nation: A Coevolutionary History of England, 1200–1900 by Edmund Russell (review)

This book is about how people and greyhounds co-evolved in England between 1200 and 1900. Co-evolution means change in the frequency of traits for two or more populations interacting with each other, traits being defined as both physical and behavioral. Humans changed the traits of greyhounds through breeding, and human traits changed in response. Russell uses this case study to make a larger argument—that evolution is integral to history. Historical change in human society is evolution, and historical forces are evolutionary forces for humans and other species.

It is often easier to understand how humans change animals than vice versa. Russell employs the biological concept of niche, defined as a job–habitat combination, to explain how co-evolution occurs. "Niches have evolutionary consequences. Every niche rewards a different combination of traits" (3). Greyhounds were bred for niches—to do certain jobs within certain habitats. As niches changed, different physical and behavioral traits of greyhounds became necessary, and people began to breed greyhounds for different qualities.

The behavioral traits of humans underwent change as well. Behavioral traits are based on memes, "instructions for behavior" that are a society's written and unwritten rules (11). Memes shape people's behaviors around values, ideas, and choices. Russell believes that memes are as important as genes in the process of co-evolution, because memes affected how greyhounds were perceived, valued, and selected. As niches changed, greyhounds had new jobs and habitats, and developed different physical and behavioral traits (genes and memes). People worked to maintain greyhounds (jobs) in new places (habitats) and developed new behavioral traits (memes) that then altered genes.

Russell examines two broad time periods of greyhound–human coevolution: patrician co-evolution from 1200 to 1831 and the modern period from 1831 to 1900. He begins in 1200 because it marks the first mention of greyhounds in written records; he ends in 1900 when kennel clubs banned cross-breeding and began to enforce breed uniformity. Until 1831, greyhound ownership was restricted by law to the patrician class, but after 1831, anyone could own a greyhound. Greyhounds were hunting dogs until the late eighteenth century when they were used primarily for racing (coursing). These changes in greyhound occupations and owners changed the niches of greyhound and emphasized different genes and memes. During the nineteenth century, the forces of modernity, capitalism, democracy, and industrialization also shaped the niches for greyhounds and people. The rise of dog shows encouraged a new insistence on breed purity that once again changed the traits of both greyhound and human populations. It gave rise to "the statue theory of breeds," the idea that breeds are uniform, unchanging, and separate from human history (7).

Russell's writing style is lucid and the structure of his argument transparent. The book is an excellent introduction to an understanding of evolutionary and co-evolutionary history and to the use of evolutionary thinking as a methodology for historical analysis. Those familiar with Russell's previous work will appreciate how it advances his arguments for the intertwining of history and biology. The book is a major contribution not only to the field of animal history but also to environmental, technological, legal, economic, sporting, and social history. It demonstrates that following the story of one group of animals can reveal a rich interdisciplinary picture of historical change and the development of modern society.