Human-Animal Interaction Studies

A human-like EEG signature of cognitive control in the domestic dog

This study identifies a frontal midline theta EEG signature in dogs during a delayed gratification task, similar to human cognitive control.

Domestic goats can follow the direction of human voices to solve a hidden-object task

This study shows domestic goats can use the direction of human voices as a cue to locate hidden food, unlike chimpanzees.

Maternal care and early rearing environment influence puppy behaviour and cognition

This study examines how maternal care and rearing environment affect puppy behavior and cognition, finding associations between pre-pregnancy dam traits, rearing location, and offspring outcomes.

Cows visually discriminate and cross-modally recognise familiar and unfamiliar human faces in videos

This study shows cows can visually discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar humans and recognize them across sensory modalities.

Brain size reduction in dogs was already established at least by the Late Neolithic of western Europe, 5,000 years ago

This study shows that brain size reduction in dogs began in the Late Neolithic, 5,000 years ago, with a 46% decrease compared to prehistoric wolves.

Dogs' behaviour is more similar to that of children than to that of cats in a prosocial problem situation

This study compares prosocial behavior in children and domesticated animals, finding dogs show similar prosocial tendencies to children while cats do not.

Longitudinal evidence for the emergence of multiple intelligences in assistance dog puppies

The study tracks cognitive development in service dog puppies to show that different cognitive skills emerge at different times, supporting the multiple intelligences hypothesis.

Human emotional odours influence horses' behaviour and physiology

This study shows that human emotional odours influence horse behaviour and physiology, with fear-related odours increasing fear responses and reducing human interaction.

Neophilia in wolves and dogs

The study compares neophilic behavior in wolves, pack-living dogs, and pet dogs using object interaction tests, finding no differences in approach latency but increased interaction with new objects across all populations.

The inner dynamics of positive human-animal interactions: investigating the roles of oxytocin, opioids, dopamine, serotonin and the proteome

This study examines how human-pig interactions affect neurotransmitter and proteome levels, finding significant effects on beta-endorphin and 5-HIAA but not on oxytocin, dopamine metabolites, or the proteome.

Functional assessments of short-term spatial memory in the Dog Aging Project identify strong associations with age that are not moderated by body mass

The paper develops two novel spatial memory tests for dogs and finds age-related cognitive decline is consistent across body sizes, suggesting no moderation by body mass.

Experiencing the wild: Red fox encounters are related to stronger nature connectedness, not anxiety, in people

This study finds that frequent positive red fox encounters are linked to stronger nature connectedness but not anxiety in people, suggesting fox interactions may enhance environmental attitudes.

Inference in wolves and dogs: The "cups task", revisited

This study revisits the cups task in wolves and dogs to assess inferential reasoning, finding that choices were based on stimulus saliency rather than inference.

Domestic dog lineages reveal genetic drivers of behavioral diversification

The paper identifies ten major canine genetic lineages and their behavioral correlates, showing breed diversification is driven by non-coding regulatory variation.

Desert Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) genome provides insights into their role in the Australian ecosystem.

The paper presents a desert dingo genome assembly and compares it to domestic dog genomes, identifying structural variants and physiological differences linked to ecological roles.

Genetic testing of dogs predicts problem behaviors in clinical and nonclinical samples

The paper tests genetic markers for predicting problem behaviors in dogs using genotype and phenotype data from 397 dogs, identifying loci associated with specific behavioral traits and diagnoses.

Age influences aggressive behavior: an RNA-seq analysis in bovines with implications for the study of neoteny under domestication

The paper uses RNA-seq to analyze gene expression in bovine prefrontal cortex across age stages, identifying age-related gene expression changes linked to aggression and neoteny.

Neuromorphological changes following selection for tameness and aggression in the Russian fox-farm experiment

The paper reports neural morphology changes in foxes selected for tameness or aggression, finding similar brain volume increases in both groups compared to unselected foxes.

Awake fMRI Reveals Brain Regions for Novel Word Detection in Dogs

This study uses awake-fMRI to identify brain regions in dogs involved in novel word detection, finding greater activation for pseudowords in parietotemporal cortex and word-specific patterns in temporal and limbic regions.

FGF4 Retrogene On CFA12 Is Responsible For Chondrodystrophy And Intervertebral Disc Disease In Dogs

The paper identifies a FGF4 retrogene on CFA12 as the cause of chondrodystrophy and intervertebral disc disease in dogs, with a high odds ratio for IVDD.

Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the early Neolithic

This study sequenced ancient dog genomes from the Neolithic period in Europe, finding continuity with modern dogs and rejecting a population replacement model and dual origins hypothesis for dog domestication.