The high sociability that the dog presents with respect to other animals and towards the human being has been and continues to be an important object of study for science. Good proof of this is the study recently published by the journal Science Advances, which concludes that said sociability is related to a genetic component.
The studio
Led by evolutionary biologist Bridgett von holdt, a group of experts from Princeton University decided to study the chromosomal area related to the sociability of these animals. The absence of this, in turn, causes Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) in humans, congenital in nature and characterized by hypersocial behavior.
For this, the DNA and behavior of several domestic dogs and gray wolves socialized by man were analyzed, as well as the characteristics of various breeds cataloged by the American Kennel Club. The researchers carried out sociability and problem solving exercises.
One of the most remarkable tests was to make each animal open, without any help, a box that kept a reward inside. All this in the presence of a human being who maintained a neutral attitude. The experts were able to verify that the dogs were interested most of the time in the person, unlike the wolves.
After analyzing all the data, the experts concluded that the GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 genes seem to be connected with hypersociability in dogs, a key element of domestication that differentiates them from wolves.
The results
According to Bridgett Von Holdt herself, these results "can explain the differences in behavior between dogs and wolves, thus facilitating their coexistence with people." However, there is still much to investigate in this field, and clearly domestication it is not a purely genetic question, as the scientist explains: "We are not saying that we have found the mutation that controls the sociability of dogs." Genes are conditioned by external factors that activate or inhibit them. However, according to experts, this line of research can lead to great discoveries.