There’s no question that dogs and wolves have a lot in common. After all, they’re descended from a common ancestor. Heck, the two species even look remarkably similar!
Still, there are quite a few major reasons why wolves are not the same as dogs. For example, while dogs might express a “pack-like” mentality towards their humans, it’s not nearly as intense as the one possessed by their wild cousins.
That’s why a recently released study conducted on wolves who have been raised by humans was so fascinating. It concluded that wolves and dogs are indeed remarkably similar… but their differences might be even more important than we realize.
There are roughly 15,000 years of evolution that distinguish dogs from wolves. Despite the similarities in their appearance, it’s clear how both animals have developed. And while dogs still behave like wolves in specific ways, it wasn’t known until recently how much it worked the other way around.
Source: Pets Nerd
Luckily for anyone curious about the subject, a study was conducted in order to analyze the characteristics of wolves who have been raised by humans. Scientists concluded that one dog-like trait found in these wolves was the attachment that they felt towards their human caregivers.
Royal Society Open Science published the research on June 27, 2017, which concluded that these feelings toward the wolves’ owners lasted through the animals’ adulthood, even if they still retained their inherent sense of fear toward humans. That’s not all they found, though!
Learn more about this fascinating study on the next page!
Next Page »
