Categories
Research

An evolutionary experiment: when did wolves become dogs and what comes next?

When did wolves become dogs?

What evolutionary and developmental processes are involved in creating physical variation?

Is selection responsible for moulding the diversity of life?

Or does developmental bias via drive and constraint determine how animal shapes change?

Abby Drake is interested in the processes that produce macroevolution and dictate which physical appearances, evolve and which do not.

She is especially interested in learning how species evolve: What mechanisms produce enough physical or behavioural change to ensure reproductive isolation on the population level?

To this end, she studies developmental processes that lead to large modifications of morphology, using variation in vertebrate skulls to answer these questions.

Abby uses three-dimensional scan data to capture each specimen’s 3D geometry.

This type of data allows her team to look at the shape of the skull holistically using a sophisticated shape analysis called geometric morphometrics.

While she also works on cetaceans, owls and primates, this episode focuses on her extensive work examining canids: when did wolves become dogs, how have we shaped them, and where might they go in the future?

Podcast

Images

Dog vs wolf skull shapes
Dog vs wolf skull shapes

Video

A thin-plate spline warping of a wolf skull into a French Bulldog. Data are from Drake, A.G. and Klingenberg C.P. 2010.

Publications

Dr Abby Drake - When did wolves become dogs?
Dr. Abby Drake

Drake, A. G., Coquerelle, M., & Colombeau, G. (2015). 3D morphometric analysis of fossil canid skulls contradicts the suggested domestication of dogs during the late PaleolithicScientific reports5.

Drake, A. G. (2011). Dispelling dog dogma: an investigation of heterochrony in dogs using 3D geometric morphometric analysis of skull shape [PDF]. Evolution & Development, 13(2), 204-213. **If you download and open this pdf with Adobe Reader 9 or higher you can rotate and magnify the skulls in the figures.

Drake, A. G., & Klingenberg, C. P. (2010). Large‐scale diversification of skull shape in domestic dogs: disparity and modularity. The American Naturalist, 175(3), 289-301.

Drake, A. G., & Klingenberg, C. P. (2008). The pace of morphological change: historical transformation of skull shape in St Bernard dogs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1630), 71-76. http://www.skidmore.edu/biology/faculty/ProcRSoc2008.pdf

Links

Abby Drake: ResearchGate Profile

Abby Drake on Twitter: @AbbyGraceDrake

Daily Mail (UK): 30,000 year-old fossil of the oldest dog turns out to be a wolf

CBS News: When did dogs become man’s best friend?

Biologist Drake helps answer key question in canine history: Skidmore College News

Categories
Health Pets Psychology Research

Just walking the dog: what promotes healthy humans?

Did you know scientists are studying the ways that you walk your dog?

What motivates you, how long you exercise for, what features (like footpaths and dog parks) promote human activity – all these questions and more, are being studied by researchers, Hayley Christian and Carri Westgarth.

Hayley’s background in human health teamed with Carri’s expertise in canine behaviour and welfare have created a research team exploring the human, dog and environmental factors that best promote active and healthy communities.

Podcast

Publications

Dog walking benefits! Dr Carri Westgarth & Dr Hayley Christian
Dr. Carri Westgarth & Dr. Hayley Christian

Westgarth, C., Christley, R. M., & Christian, H. E. (2014). How might we increase physical activity through dog walking?: A comprehensive review of dog walking correlatesInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity11(1), 83. [PDF]

Christian, H., Trapp, G., Villanueva, K., Zubrick, S. R., Koekemoer, R., & Giles-Corti, B. (2014). Dog walking is associated with more outdoor play and independent mobility for childrenPreventive medicine67, 259-263.

Westgarth, C., Christley, R. M., & Christian, H. E. (2014). How can we motivate owners to walk their dogs more? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research9(6), e6-e7.

Christian, H. E., Westgarth, C., Bauman, A., Richards, E. A., Rhodes, R., Evenson, K. R., & Thorpe, R. J. (2013). Dog ownership and physical activity: a review of the evidence. J Phys Act Health10(5), 750-759.

Westgarth, C., Boddy, L. M., Stratton, G., German, A. J., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., & Dawson, S. (2013). A cross-sectional study of frequency and factors associated with dog walking in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UKBMC public health13(1), 822.

Morrison, R., Reilly, J. J., Penpraze, V., Westgarth, C., Ward, D. S., Mutrie, N., & Yam, P. S. (2013). Children, parents and pets exercising together (CPET): exploratory randomised controlled trialBMC public health13(1), 1096.

Christian, H., Giles-Corti, B., & Knuiman, M. (2010). “I’m Just a’‐Walking the Dog” Correlates of Regular Dog WalkingFamily & community health33(1), 44-52.

For more publications, please see the researcher’s university profiles below.

Links

Hayley Christian: University of Western Australia profile

Carri Westgarth: University of Liverpool (UK) profile

Header image: Flickr/Stefan Mortellaro

Categories
Behaviour Cognition Pets Research

Is your dog optimistic? Cognitive bias in animals

Does your pet have a glass half full, or glass half empty take on life?

It’s a recent discovery that many animals can be optimistic or pessimistic based on their experiences.

Dr. Melissa Starling holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and recently gained her PhD from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney with a topic that covered elements of dog behaviour, personality, emotions and cognition.

She has long had a passion for animal behaviour and animal training that has intensified as she learns more.

In this episode, we talk to Mel about her PhD research investigating optimism and pessimism – or cognitive bias – in dogs.

Podcast

Publications

Starling, M. J., Branson, N., Cody, D., Starling, T. R., & McGreevy, P. D. (2014). Developing an optimism index using results from a cognitive bias taskJournal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research9(6), e17-e18.

Starling, M. J., Branson, N., Cody, D., Starling, T. R., & McGreevy, P. D. (2014). Canine Sense and Sensibility: Tipping Points and Response Latency Variability as an Optimism Index in a Canine Judgement Bias AssessmentPloS one9(9), e107794.

Starling, M. J., Branson, N., Cody, D., & McGreevy, P. D. (2013). Conceptualising the Impact of Arousal and Affective State on Training Outcomes of Operant ConditioningAnimals3(2), 300-317.

McGreevy, P. D., Starling, M., Branson, N. J., Cobb, M. L., & Calnon, D. (2012). An overview of the dog–human dyad and ethograms within itJournal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research7(2), 103-117.

Dr Melissa Starling - Cognitive Bias in Dogs
Dr Melissa Starling – Cognitive Bias in Dogs

Links

Melissa Starling on Twitter (@dogoptimism)

Creature Teacher (personal website)

Dog Optimism on ABC Catalyst

Video – Optimism in Dogs (Melissa Starling)

Optimism in Dogs

Cover image: Flickr/hoodsie

Categories
Therapy

Do children on the autistic spectrum benefit from assistance dogs?

How do parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perceive the value of assistance dogs?

It’s a new area of research for Louise Burgoyne at the University College Cork in Ireland.

Louise holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health, a Masters in Marketing and a Bachelor of Art in Applied Psychology.

She also has a gorgeous German Shepherd, named Kyla, who she participates with in search and rescue, as an Irish Search Dog member.

In this episode, we hear from Louise about her research investigating the effects of assistance dogs to children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

Podcast

Publications

Autism assistance dogs - Louise Burgoyne
Louise Burgoyne

Burgoyne, L., Dowling, L., Fitzgerald, A., Connolly, M., Browne, J. P., & Perry, I. J. (2014). Parents’ perspectives on the value of assistance dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 4(6): e004786. [Open Access]

Berry, A., Borgi, M., Francia, N., Alleva, E., & Cirulli, F. (2013). Use of assistance and therapy dogs for children with autism spectrum disorders: A critical review of the current evidenceThe Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine19(2), 73-80.

O’Haire, M. E. (2013). Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic literature review. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 43(7), 1606-1622.

Davis, B. W., Nattrass, K., O’Brien, S., Patronek, G., & MacCollin, M. (2004). Assistance dog placement in the pediatric population: Benefits, risks, and recommendations for future applicationAnthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals17(2), 130-145.

Links

Louise Burgoyne: University College Cork Profile

Louise’s other publications on Research Gate

Video – What is autism (a quick refresher)

What is autism?

Header image via Flickr/Paolo Manalac

Categories
Animal Welfare Pets

Boarding kennels: are dog kennels cruel?

What happens when your scientific study results contradict all previous research in that area?

Science can be surprising, and for Dr Lisa Collins, researcher in Animal Health and Welfare Epidemiology at the University of Lincoln, UK, that’s part of the challenge – and the fun!

Lisa’s research focuses on the development and application of mathematical and statistical methods for the study of animal health and welfare in a wide range of species.

She has recently led three research projects to investigate the welfare of kennelled dogs.

This includes a 3-year study conducted in dog rehoming centres, where the aim was to develop a tool to assess Quality of Life based on a wide range of novel and traditional welfare indicators.

Lisa has been awarded a number of prizes for her work, including the 2014 British Science Association Charles Darwin award for excellence in science communication, and the 2010 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare’s Young Animal Welfare Scientist of the Year award.

In this episode, we speak with Lisa about her work comparing the welfare physiology and behaviour of pets dogs at home and in a boarding kennel environment, with some unexpected findings.

Are dog kennels cruel? Let’s find out.

Podcast

Publications

Dr. Lisa Collins – Are dog kennels cruel?

Kiddie, J. L., & Collins, L. M. (2014). Development and validation of a quality of life assessment tool for use in kennelled dogs (Canis familiaris)Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 158, 57-68.

Part, C. E., Kiddie, J. L., Hayes, W., Mills, D., Neville, R. F., Morton, D. B., & Collins, L. M. (2014). Physiological, physical and behavioural changes in dogs (Canis familiaris) when kennelled: Testing the validity of stress parametersPhysiology & behavior, 133, 260-271.

Collins, L. M. (2012). Welfare risk assessment: the benefits and common pitfallsAnimal Welfare21(Supplement 1), 73-79.

Asher, L., Collins, L. M., Ortiz-Pelaez, A., Drewe, J. A., Nicol, C. J., & Pfeiffer, D. U. (2009). Recent advances in the analysis of behavioural organization and interpretation as indicators of animal welfareJournal of the Royal Society Interface, doi:10.1098/rsif.2009.0221.

More publications by Dr. Lisa Collins via ResearchGate

Links

Lisa Collins on Twitter

LinkedIn: Lisa Collins


Header image: Flickr/Jeff Hill

Categories
Psychology

Sam Gosling: Animal personality

Sam Gosling is a psychologist based at the University of Texas at Austin in the USA.

His research interests include social perception, new methods of data collection online and cross-species work, where he examines how animals can inform theories of personality and social psychology.

We talked with Sam about how science can help us measure animal personality traits (non-human) across a number of species, including hyenas, dogs, and even invertebrates, like squid.

Podcast

Publications

Sam Gosling discusses animal personalities
Sam Gosling

Gosling, S. D., & John, O. P. (1999). Personality dimensions in nonhuman animals a cross-species reviewCurrent Directions in Psychological Science,8(3), 69-75.

Gosling, S. D. (2001). From mice to men: what can we learn about personality from animal research?. Psychological bulletin127(1), 45.

Gosling, S. D., & Vazire, S. (2002). Are we barking up the right tree? Evaluating a comparative approach to personality. Journal of Research in Personality,36(6), 607-614.

Gosling, S. D. (2008). Personality in Non‐human AnimalsSocial and Personality Psychology Compass2(2), 985-1001.

Sinn, D. L., Gosling, S. D., & Hilliard, S. (2010). Personality and performance in military working dogs: Reliability and predictive validity of behavioral tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science127(1), 51-65.

Links

Gosling Lab at the University of Texas, Austin


Top image via Flickr/malingering

Categories
Community

Hope and freedom: Street dogs of Bosnia

Stephen Jenkinson is the United Kingdom’s only specialist in behavioural psychology and its practical application to influence the behaviour of walkers with dogs.

Stephen holds a Master of Science (MSc) and post-graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling.

In 2013, the United Nations Development Program contacted International Fund for Animal Welfare for help in managing the issue of roaming dogs in Bosnia as a serious community safety issue.

Dog advocates had been attempting to control packs of street dogs through limited catch-sterilize-and-return programs or placing dogs into newly constructed shelters, but the programs were not working and people did not feel safe.

Bosnia needed a different approach – and that’s where Steve became involved…

Podcast

Links

International Fund for Animal Welfare: Partnering with UN Development Program to help dogs in Bosnia

Your Dog (Feb 2014) article: A better life for the Street dogs of Bosnia? By Stephen Jenkinson (PDF)

Publications

Lowe, C. N., Williams, K. S., Jenkinson, S., & Toogood, M. (2014). Environmental and social impacts of domestic dog waste in the UK: investigating barriers to behavioural change in dog walkers. International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 13(4), 331-347. (PDF)

Jenkinson, S. (2014) Commercial Dog Walkers in the Outdoors: Attitudes, Engagement and Opportunities (PDF)

Jenkinson, S. (2013) Planning for dog ownership in new developments: reducing conflict – adding value (PDF)

Images: Flickr/viciousbits

Categories
Therapy

Amazing tails: Reading with dogs

Dr Holly Lane is an Associate Professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida’s College of Education.

Her research focuses on literacy intervention and prevention of reading difficulties through effective early literacy instruction and teacher education.

Holly’s first observations as a classroom teacher with her own dog, Floyd, led her to notice how dogs helped to motivate students.

Fast forward to now, and she’s getting the opportunity to research the growing field of canine-assisted reading programs, with promising future directions.

Listen in and find out what she has to say about reading with dogs!

Podcast

Links

Dr. Holly Lane - Reading with dogs
Dr. Holly Lane

Holly Lane: University of Florida Profile

Lane, H. B., & Zavada, S. D. (2013). When Reading Gets Ruff: Canine‐Assisted Reading Programs.
The Reading Teacher, 67(2): 87-95.

Publications

Friesen, L. (2010). Potential for the role of school-based animal-assisted literacy mentoring programsLanguage and Literacy, 12(1): 21-37.

Smith, C. S. (2009). An Analysis and Evaluation of Sit Stay Read: Is the Program Effective in Improving Student Engagement and Reading Outcomes?. EdD Dissertation. National Louis University.

Going to the Dogs: Can a canine help your child learn to read? Psychology Today


Photo: Steven Pam | Smartshots Photography