Domestication of the dog from the wolf was promoted by enhanced excitatory synaptic plasticity: a hypothesis.
Dogs shared a much closer relationship with humans than any other domesticated animals, probably due to their unique social cognitive capabilities, which were hypothesized to be a by-product of selection for tameness toward humans. Here, we demonstrate that genes involved in glutamate metabolism, which account partially for fear response, indeed show the greatest population differentiation by whole-genome comparison of dogs and wolves. However, the changing direction of their expression supports a role in increasing excitatory synaptic plasticity in dogs rather than reducing fear response. Because synaptic plasticity are widely believed to be cellular correlates of learning and memory, this change may alter the learning and memory abilities of ancient scavenging wolves, weaken the fear reaction toward humans, and prompt the initial interspecific contact.
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China wudongdong@mail.kiz.ac.cn zhangyp@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
Yan
Y
Li
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China wudongdong@mail.kiz.ac.cn zhangyp@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
Guo-Dong
GD
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Ming-Shan
MS
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Banting and Best Diabetes Centre, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
David M
DM
Irwin
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China wudongdong@mail.kiz.ac.cn zhangyp@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
Dong-Dong
DD
Wu
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China wudongdong@mail.kiz.ac.cn zhangyp@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
Ya-Ping
YP
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016678:Genome; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D019596:Wolves / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000097808:GluK3 Kainate Receptor
D018092:Kainic Acid Receptors; D000097808:GluK3 Kainate Receptor
fear response; gray wolf; learning; memory; self-domestication