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Wolves, but not dogs, are prosocial in a touch screen task
Rachel Dale1,2, Sylvain Palma-Jacinto1,3, Sarah Marshall-Pescini1,2
1Wolf Science Center, Domestication Lab, Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
Plos One
|May 3, 2019
Summary
Wolves exhibit more prosocial behavior than dogs, sharing food with pack members. This finding suggests that a reliance on cooperation drives prosociality, challenging some domestication hypotheses.
Area of Science:
- Comparative psychology
- Animal behavior
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Prosociality is crucial for cooperation in social species.
- Domestication hypotheses present conflicting predictions regarding prosocial tendencies in dogs versus wolves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly compare the prosocial behavior of wolves and dogs.
- To investigate the influence of social relationships on prosociality in canids.
Main Methods:
- A prosocial choice task was adapted from studies with domestic dogs.
- The study directly compared the behavior of wolves and dogs under identical conditions.
Main Results:
- Wolves demonstrated significant prosocial behavior towards in-group pack members.
- Dogs did not exhibit prosocial behavior in the same task.
- Wolves' prosociality was limited to familiar pack members, not non-group individuals.
Conclusions:
- Wolves are more prosocial than dogs when housed in similar conditions.
- Reliance on cooperation appears to be a key driver of prosocial attitudes in canids.
- Social relationships significantly influence the expression of prosociality.
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