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Isolation and Expansion of Adult Canine Hippocampal Neural Precursors
Published on: November 29, 2016
Selection and learning shape communication networks in the dog brain
Mélina Cordeau1, Sophie A Barton2, Erin E Hecht2
1Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 02138 Cambridge, MA, USA melina.cordeau@gmail.com.
Summary
Selective breeding and training significantly alter dog brain networks for communication. Artificial selection impacts broad connectivity, while training causes localized changes, influencing trainability and receptive vocabulary.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Dogs' communication skills evolved over millennia alongside humans.
- Both inherited adaptations and individual learning contribute to canine communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how long-term selection and short-term training shape the neural architecture of communication in dogs.
- To differentiate the effects of artificial selection versus training on canine brain connectivity.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion MRI tractography was used on 108 dogs.
- Comparison between modern breeds, premodern dogs, and trained service dogs.
Main Results:
- Selective breeding altered communication networks, increasing hemispheric asymmetry and modifying temporal/associative connectivity.
- Training induced localized plasticity in sensorimotor and associative pathways, impacting cue interpretation and response.
- Connectivity strength predicted trainability, with enhanced coupling in auditory-premotor regions for receptive vocabulary.
Conclusions:
- Canine communicative abilities result from both evolutionary selection pressures and individual learning experiences.
- Artificial selection and training leave distinct neural signatures in the dog brain.
- Understanding these neural changes provides insights into interspecies communication.
