Dogs May Be Entering A New Phase Of Evolution Due To Modern Human Life, According To Scientists

Scientists have discovered that dogs may be entering a new wave of domestication as humans now seek to have companions who are friendlier and calmer.

A few decades ago, dogs were seen as animals who could hunt, herd livestock, and offer protection.

Nowadays, these canines may be morphing to fit into the largely sedentary, modern lifestyle of a human, evolving into animals more appropriate for an urbanized environment.

Dogs may be entering a new wave of evolution as a humans’ needs for companionship grows

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A study concluded that oxytocin is the “love” hormone that drives dogs to seek contact and interaction with their owners. And as humans grow more keen of affectionate pets, canines then become more sensitive to this hormone.

A research team from Sweden’s Linköping University, which was led by canine experts Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, dove deeper into how dogs developed their ability to work with humans and how our lifestyle may affect their traits.

60 golden retrievers were tested to open the lid off a treat jar, which was intentionally made impossible to open.

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The dogs were subjected to this task twice — once after receiving oxytocin nasal spray and once after receiving a neutral saline nasal spray. The team timed the animals to see how long it would take for them to ask their owners to help.

Results suggested the dogs with a particular genetic variant of the oxytocin receptor responded stronger to the oxytocin spray, which made them more likely to seek out help from their owners.

This experiment reaffirmed that oxytocin levels greatly influence a dog’s social skills and its relationships with their humans. Their sensitivity to social behavior is partially related to their genes.

Service dogs are further proof that dogs are now more well-adapted to life in the 21st century as they are a far cry from the hunters they were born to be

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Service dogs are trained professionals, meant to assist their owner with tasks, remain calm and quiet, and have friendly and unique dispositions.

“Unlike most pet dogs, service dogs are attracted to strangers, even as puppies,” Woods and Hare wrote in The Atlantic. 

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“And increasing friendliness seems to have changed these dogs’ biology, just as it did thousands of years ago.

“Service dogs fit into the life of their person in a way that many able-bodied dog owners want their pets to fit into theirs,” they added.

The first wave of dog domestication began between 40,000 and 14,000 years ago

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Back when humans were foragers, wild wolves started to slowly adapt to human settlements as a predictable food source, later becoming fascinating and attracted to people rather than fearful and aggressive.

The second wave of domestication occurred after the industrial revolution. As disposable income increased, people started to breed dogs for specific physical traits that reflected their status.

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This gave birth to many of the 200 dog breeds now recognized by the American Kennel Club — a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States.

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