IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Nov;154:105407. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105407. Epub 2023 Sep 26.
Animal domestication leads to diverse behavioral, physiological, and neurocognitive changes in domesticated species compared to their wild relatives. However, the widely held belief that domesticated species are inherently less "intelligent" (i.e., have lower cognitive performance) than their wild counterparts requires further investigation. To investigate potential cognitive disparities, we undertook a thorough review of 88 studies comparing the cognitive performance of domesticated and wild animals. Approximately 30% of these studies showed superior cognitive abilities in wild animals, while another 30% highlighted superior cognitive abilities in domesticated animals. The remaining 40% of studies found similar cognitive performance between the two groups. Therefore, the question regarding the presumed intelligence of wild animals and the diminished cognitive ability of domesticated animals remains unresolved. We discuss important factors/limitations for interpreting past and future research, including environmental influences, diverse objectives of domestication (such as breed development), developmental windows, and methodological issues impacting cognitive comparisons. Rather than perceiving these limitations as constraints, future researchers should embrace them as opportunities to expand our understanding of the complex relationship between domestication and animal cognition.
与野生亲属相比，动物驯化导致驯化物种在行为、生理和神经认知方面发生多样化的变化。然而，广泛持有的观点认为，驯化物种本质上不如它们的野生对应物“聪明”（即认知表现较低），这一观点需要进一步调查。为了研究潜在的认知差异，我们对 88 项比较驯化动物和野生动物认知表现的研究进行了全面回顾。这些研究中约有 30%显示野生动物具有更高的认知能力，而另外 30%则强调了驯化动物具有更高的认知能力。其余 40%的研究发现两组之间的认知表现相似。因此，关于野生动物假定的智力和驯化动物认知能力降低的问题仍然没有得到解决。我们讨论了解释过去和未来研究的重要因素/限制，包括环境影响、驯化的不同目标（如品种发展）、发育窗口以及影响认知比较的方法学问题。未来的研究人员不应将这些限制视为障碍，而应将其视为扩大我们对驯化和动物认知之间复杂关系的理解的机会。
