https://youtu.be/RR1g5dYAd98
(Reuters) — U.S. researchers have identified a genetic difference between dogs and their wild cousins, wolves, that could explain why dogs are so friendly.
The study used both behavioral and genetic data. The behavioral side was led by Oregon State University animal behaviorist Monique Udell who showed that pet domestic dogs are more sociable and less afraid of strangers than wolves, even when those wolves were raised by humans.
The genetic component came from Princeton University geneticist Bridgett vonHoldt. She found that a genetic condition, rather than domestication, led to the dogs’ excessively sociability.
VonHoldt’s team found that variations in a region of chromosome 6 are associated with how much dogs socialize with humans. In wolves, there was less alteration. In the equivalent region in humans, genetic mutations are linked to a rare congenital disorder called Williams-Beuren Syndrome, or Williams Syndrome. One of the characteristics of that developmental condition is an excessively friendly and outgoing personality.
“This is really exciting because it suggests that there might be this common mechanism between some of these developmental delays that we’ve seen in humans, especially with Williams-Beuren syndrome, and this incredibly pro-social behavior that makes dogs very unique,” Udell said.
“Where dogs and wolves are both interested in people, wolves will typically come, engage in a short sort of adult-type greeting and then move on back to their normal behaviors. Whereas dogs will come and greet a person and greet them again and continue to greet them, whether or not that person is reciprocating that affection. And in some cases they’ll be just as enthusiastic with strangers as they are with their own owners. And so what we found is that actually corresponds to some of these genetic regions that Dr. vonHoldt had previously identified.”
Udell’s team used 18 domesticated dogs and ten captive gray wolves and gave them sociability and problem-solving tasks. They found the dogs were more likely to gaze at people than complete a task, while the wolves would ignore people and focus on the task. In another experiment, they found dogs would try to engage for longer with people who both encouraged and ignored them, while wolves would lose interest.
“I think for a long time people who have owned dogs who own pets and keep them especially in their house think of these little furry babies as their children. And this is essentially telling us, well, one of the reasons that that might work is because in many ways dogs are essentially the child version of canines. And so it’s a very compatible relationship and I think every bit of information that we have on these animals that we invest so much time and love and energy into can only help improve that bond,” she said.
Udell said the findings show that dogs are genetically prepared to be man’s best friend but that their interactions
with humans still play a key role in their lives.
“It’s a very compatible relationship and I think every bit of information that we have on these animals that we invest so much time and love and energy into can only help improve that bond,” she said.
