We have now identified a couple of mutations to one gene that may help explain why dogs are our best friends
“Dogs’ social cognitive abilities are thought to have been acquired as a by-product of mutations of the stress response,” says Nagasawa.
In the first, the animals were trained to find food hidden under one of two bowls. Each dog was then tasked with determining which bowl had food hidden underneath by looking at an experimenter’s cues.In the second task, the dogs were trained to open a bin in order to find food inside. Each dog was then presented with the same bin, but this time it couldn’t be forced open.
Nagasawa says mutations in the melanocortin 2 receptor gene may have reduced fear and aggression in dogs, leading them to be braver in their approaches with humans.