Understanding Canine Evolution and Behavior

Dr. Clive Win studies canine fear responses at Wolf Park, Indiana, exploring the evolution of dogs from wolves. His team works with wolf pups to understand social bonding and fear development. They conduct novel object tests to observe when curiosity turns to fear, a key difference between dogs and wolves. The concept of neoteny explains how dogs retain juvenile traits, aiding domestication. Natural and artificial selection have shaped dogs over time, with humans influencing their evolution for specific traits.

What is Dr. Clive Win studying at Wolf Park?

• Canine hunting techniques

• Canine fear responses

• Canine dietary habits

• Canine social behavior

How many dogs are estimated to live in human households?

• 74 million

• 60 million

• 80 million

• 50 million

What is the key difference in bonding between wolf pups and dogs?

• Dogs bond after 3 weeks

• Wolf pups need 24/7 human interaction

• Wolf pups bond after 90 minutes

• Dogs need 24/7 human interaction

What is the purpose of the novel object test?

• To measure the intelligence of wolf pups

• To determine when curiosity turns into fear

• To test the strength of wolf pups

• To assess the social skills of wolf pups

At what age does curiosity in wolf pups begin to fade?

• Two weeks

• Three weeks

• Four to five weeks

• Six weeks

What is neoteny?

• The process of domestication

• The development of adult characteristics

• The retention of juvenile traits into adulthood

• The process of aging in animals

How do dogs differ from wolves in terms of curiosity?

• Dogs lose curiosity earlier than wolves

• Dogs retain curiosity longer than wolves

• Dogs and wolves have the same curiosity span

• Wolves are more curious than dogs

What role did natural selection play in the evolution of dogs?

• It produced tamer wolves that became dogs

• It increased the size of wolves

• It made wolves more aggressive

• It made wolves more solitary

What is artificial selection?

• The natural evolution of species

• The survival of the fittest

• The process of selecting traits in animals by humans

• The random mutation of genes

Why did humans start selectively breeding dogs?

• To increase their size

• To enhance their hunting skills

• To make them more aggressive

• To produce dogs with desired traits