Scientists from Eötvös Lorand University discovered that modern dog breeds have larger brains than ancient dog breeds. Research published in the journal evolution.
The authors of the study have been collecting animal skulls for decades. They did a CT scan to assess brain volume. In the end, the scientists collected data from 865 individuals representing 159 dog breeds.
Scientists have found that the average brain volume of the wolves is 131 cm3 and the average body weight is 31 kg. Brain volume in dogs of similar weight category is only 100 cm3. Scientists suggest that domesticated animals’ brains may have been shrunk by 25% because there is no need to fear predators or hunt for food in a safe environment created by humans, so there is no need to sustain an energy. consumes big brains.
What surprised the researchers, however, was that the further a dog breed genetically diverged from wolves, the larger the individuals’ relative brain size. Contrary to expectations, the original role of breeds, mean pup size and life expectancy were independent of brain size.
These results are supported by research showing that ancient breeds, known for their independence, paid less attention to human signals and barked less, showing differences in visual and auditory communication compared to modern breeds.
“The results show that the breeding of modern dog breeds is accompanied by an increase in brain size compared to ancient breeds. We could not explain this in terms of task or breed characteristics, so we can only speculate about its causes. Scientists suggest that perhaps a more complex social environment, urbanization and more Adaptation to rule and expectation caused this change that affected all modern races, ”scientists write.