Evolution of Canidae (In Hungarian) (Course code:bbbn9027)

specialization obligatory optional, 2 credits, 90 minutes/weekly
Semester: autumn
Requirement: exam (5) (written pre-exam + oral exam)
Obligatory/Recommended studies: ethology
Responsible person:  Márta Gácsi, PhD
Lecturer: Faragó Tamás, PhD; Márta Gácsi, PhD; Enikő Kubinyi, PhD; Ádám Miklósi, Prof.
Consultation possibilities: after the last lecture

Books: slides of the lectures; Prof. Ádám Miklósi: DOG Behaviour, Evolution, Cognition.  Typotex, 2010

1. Comparative taxonomy and ecology of canidae. Coyote, wolf, dingo, jackal, fox etc. – relatedness
2. The wolf – ancestor of the dog. Development, ecology, social behaviour, differences from dogs and other canidae
3. Domestication of dog. Theories about dog domestication, comparison with other species, consequences
4. Two closely related species: coyote and jackal. How closely are they related, similarities, differences related to each other and to wolf/dog
5. Halfway to domestication? The dingo. History, natural environment, specific behaviours, regulations, differences and similarities to wolf/dog
6. Development. Developmental stages, sensitive periods, attachment behaviour (dog vs. wolf)         
7. Social relations and cooperation. Within species social relationships, cooperation, specific cases of dog-human relationships, assistant dogs
8. Agonistic behaviour. Hierarchy, differences in aggressive behaviour, dog attacks
9. Acoustic communication of canidae. Species specific vocalisations, wolf vs. dog
10. Personality. Individual differences, personality traits and their associations
11. Ecological and social cognition. Object permanence, cognitive map, attention attribution, mental attribution, social learning
12. Comparative neurobiology of canidae. Visual abilities, olfactory abilities, changes in the brain size
13. Effects of genetics and environment: individual differences. Structure of chromosomes, principles of heredity, quantitative genetics, heritability, candidate genes, genetic models