There are hundreds of dog breeds around the world, all thanks to centuries of selective breeding by humans. With such a wide range of canine sizes and temperaments, it's no surprise that, in the process, we have reshaped their brains as well as their bodies. Here are the main findings of a new study of 33 different dog breeds, published in the journal Neurosci by study leader, Erin E. Hecht, an evolutionary neuroscientist at Harvard University. Via: Science News
For instance, dogs bred to be small—say the lhasa apso—have round heads with similarly round brains that take up most of their skull. A larger breed like a golden retriever has a long, narrow head, and thus a more elongated brain that doesn't fill all of the skull space. It was also found that the role for which a dog was bred—say retrieving birds—is reflected in their brain structure.
After noting the differences in brain size and shape, the team then further analyzed differences within the brain, observing how certain regions varied across breeds with certain behavioral traits. Bulldogs, for example, were originally bred to fight captive bulls but later were bred to be loving family pets, putting them both in the "sport fighting" and "explicit companionship" groups. The study team used the American Kennel Club website for data on the breeds' original roles
For example, in the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex, one area associated with group size and social interaction had the same variation among dogs bred for herding; police, military, and war work; vermin control; bird flushing and retrieving; and sport fighting. That makes sense since these breeds serve roles that are "cognitively complex and demanding, so they might require greater support from the prefrontal cortex," leader research, Hecht says.
"The biggest wow moment for me was just looking at the scans," says study leader, Hecht. "It's really cool in science where you have a result where you don't have to do any fancy statistics to be able to tell there's something going on."
"It brings home how humans alter the world around them," she says. "It's kind of profound that our brains are changing other brains on the planet."
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