Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2022 Jun 9;12(1):6950. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11130-x.
The dog (Canis familiaris) was the first domesticated animal and hundreds of breeds exist today. During domestication, dogs experienced strong selection for temperament, behaviour, and cognitive ability. However, the genetic basis of these abilities is not well-understood. We focused on ancient dog breeds to investigate breed-related differences in social cognitive abilities. In a problem-solving task, ancient breeds showed a lower tendency to look back at humans than other European breeds. In a two-way object choice task, they showed no differences in correct response rate or ability to read human communicative gestures. We examined gene polymorphisms in oxytocin, oxytocin receptor, melanocortin 2 receptor, and a Williams-Beuren syndrome-related gene (WBSCR17), as candidate genes of dog domestication. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms on melanocortin 2 receptor were related to both tasks, while other polymorphisms were associated with the unsolvable task. This indicates that glucocorticoid functions are involved in the cognitive skills acquired during dog domestication.
狗（Canis familiaris）是第一种被驯化的动物，如今存在数百个品种。在驯化过程中，狗的气质、行为和认知能力经历了强烈的选择。然而，这些能力的遗传基础还不是很清楚。我们专注于古代犬种，以研究其在社会认知能力方面的品种差异。在解决问题的任务中，古代犬种回头看人类的倾向低于其他欧洲品种。在双向物体选择任务中，它们在正确反应率或解读人类交际手势的能力方面没有差异。我们研究了催产素、催产素受体、黑素皮质素 2 受体和一个威廉姆斯综合征相关基因（WBSCR17）的基因多态性，作为犬类驯化的候选基因。黑素皮质素 2 受体上的单核苷酸多态性与这两个任务都有关，而其他多态性与无法解决的任务有关。这表明糖皮质激素功能参与了犬类驯化过程中获得的认知技能。
