All articles tagged with #canine
Eight dogs scanned with fMRI showed that happy human faces strongly activate the temporal cortex and caudate, while fear, sadness, and anger trigger distinct whole-brain patterns, indicating dogs can differentiate these emotions at the neural level—though they also rely on body language, voice, and scent in real interactions.
Research shows that some dogs can categorize objects based on their function and extend verbal labels to new items, indicating a level of abstract thinking previously thought unique to humans, especially among gifted border collies. This suggests that certain dogs possess a more sophisticated cognitive ability than traditionally assumed.
A stray canine found in Brazil has been identified as a hybrid between a South American pampas fox and a domestic dog, making it the first of its kind. The animal's appearance and behavior puzzled scientists, as it had characteristics of both species. Genetic evidence confirmed the hybrid status, with the animal possessing 76 chromosomes and visual similarities to both dogs and pampas foxes. The discovery suggests that despite diverging millions of years ago, these species can still produce viable hybrids. Unfortunately, the dog-fox hybrid passed away under unknown circumstances after recovering from its injuries.