EvolutionWorkingDogL2

• Canidae 


  Family including wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs
• Canis


  Genus of true dogs, including gray wolves and coyotes
• Selection & Breed Creation

  Process of choosing traits in dogs for specific purposes
• Sled Dogs


  Dogs bred for pulling sleds in races or transportation
• Livestock Guarding Dogs


  Dogs trained to protect livestock from predators
• Herding Dogs


  Dogs bred to help herd livestock, such as sheep or cattle
• Domestication Traits


  Physical and behavioral changes in dogs due to domestication
• Hesperocyoninae


  Subfamily of early dog-like canids (~39.74-15 Mya)
• Borophaginae


  Subfamily of extinct canids (~36-2 Mya)
• Caninae


  Subfamily of canids leading to present-day canines
• Body Mass Increase

  Gradual rise in the weight of canid groups over time
• Hyper-carnivorous Diet

  Specialized diet high in meat leading to extinction risks
• Canines


  Commonly referred to as the surviving members of Caninae
• Hybridization


  Crossbreeding between different species or subspecies (e.g. Red Wolf - wolf-coyote hybrid)
• Grey Wolf Distribution

  Historical range of grey wolves across different regions
• Wolf breeds exhibit

  One-person fidelity
• Jackal breeds exhibit


  More promiscuous in their affections
• Early dog domestication


  Occurred multiple times in our history - hunting & gathering, 14,200 years BP
• What are the 3 major events in canid species phylogeny?

  9-10 Mya branching off of fox-like cade, 6-7.4 Mya branching off of South American clade, 3-4 Mya branching off of wolf-like clade
• Wolf Pack Structure


  Each pack has a dominant pair - patrol boundaries, settle disputes, control pack movements, do all breeding
• How is the hierarchy maintained in wolf packs?

  Movements of tail, ears, mouth and body, and by vocalizations
• What does group size vary in?

  On what prey they're hunting
• Territoriality in Wolves


  Behavior of marking and defending territories in wolf packs
• Helper system in wolf packs


  Subordinate members are offspring from previous years; may delay dispersal till 2nd or 3rd of year of life. May take part in the hunt, or stay with pups
• When is wolf breeding season?

  Late winter or early spring
• When is dog breeding season?

  2x/year
• Breeding season


  Mating tie lasting 10-30 minutes. Gestation 63 days
• Puppies


  Eyes open 14 days, social responses well developed 6 weeks, fully mature 9-12 months
• Wolf, dingo, & working dogs physiology

  Narrow shoulders, elbows turn inwards, hind feet place in tracks of forefeet
• Dogs' jaws shortened, teeth crowded, muzzle relatively broad
• Dogs have a "stop" ( a sudden drop at root of nose) because of enlarged frontal sinuses.
• Modern dog traits


  Earlier maturation 6-9 months, 2 breeding season a year, all males mark, barking enhanced
• What's the hunting sequence for wolves?


  Track, stalk, kill, retrieve
• What's the hunting sequence for dogs?

  Track and stalk
• What's the development of 'theory of mind' as far as humans are concerned?


  The capacity that enables dogs to understand the desires, motivations, and intentions of humans
• Domestication syndrome


  Patches of white hair, floppy ears, smaller brains, smaller teeth and shorter muzzles - physical traits associated with tameness
• What have dogs may be originated as and what were they domesticated for?

  Scavengers; use as food and fiber or put to work
• Sled dog physics

  Efficiency and load distribution in sled dog teams
• Wheel dogs


  Dogs immediately in front of the sled for steering
• Lead dogs


  Fastest pair at the front, setting pace and towing the team