Journal
ANIMAL COGNITION
Volume 22, Issue 2, Pages 187-198Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-01234-1
Keywords
Cognitive evolution; Brain evolution; Brain size; Executive function; Breed differences; Citizen science
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Funding
- Emil W. Haury Fellowship from the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona
- Graduate College at the University of Arizona
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group) [MTA 01 031]
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Large-scale phylogenetic studies of animal cognition have revealed robust links between absolute brain volume and species differences in executive function. However, past comparative samples have been composed largely of primates, which are characterized by evolutionarily derived neural scaling rules. Therefore, it is currently unknown whether positive associations between brain volume and executive function reflect a broad-scale evolutionary phenomenon, or alternatively, a unique consequence of primate brain evolution. Domestic dogs provide a powerful opportunity for investigating this question due to their close genetic relatedness, but vast intraspecific variation. Using citizen science data on more than 7000 purebred dogs from 74 breeds, and controlling for genetic relatedness between breeds, we identify strong relationships between estimated absolute brain weight and breed differences in cognition. Specifically, larger-brained breeds performed significantly better on measures of short-term memory and self-control. However, the relationships between estimated brain weight and other cognitive measures varied widely, supporting domain-specific accounts of cognitive evolution. Our results suggest that evolutionary increases in brain size are positively associated with taxonomic differences in executive function, even in the absence of primate-like neuroanatomy. These findings also suggest that variation between dog breeds may present a powerful model for investigating correlated changes in neuroanatomy and cognition among closely related taxa.
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