Scientists studying the neurology of tame foxes identified changes in a part of the brain previously associated with aggression. The changes occurred in the ventromedial hypothalamus, a region known to drive aggression and control energy use. The study, published Nov. 2 in Current Biology, compared the brains of domesticated, aggressive, and wild foxes.
It took advantage of a classic experiment started in Siberia in the late 1950s, where Russian geneticists selectively bred friendlier foxes. After only six generations, they had litters that interacted with humans. The cuddlier foxes also had physical features like floppy ears and shorter snouts.
Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou, senior author and assistant professor at Cornell, said the research reveals how environmental pressures can alter brain structure rapidly. The team found that tame foxes had fewer estrogen receptor-expressing neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus, which are part of the aggression circuit. This difference may explain their friendlier behavior.
Next steps include exploring how genome mutations affect the development of these neurons.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing