Abstract
A broad sample of wolves, dingoes, and domesticated dogs of different kinds and time periods was used to identify changes in size and shape of the organs of balance and hearing related to domestication and to evaluate the potential utility of uncovered patterns as markers of domestication. Using geometric morphometrics coupled with non-invasive imaging and three-dimensional reconstructions, we exposed and compared complex structures that remain largely conserved. There is no statistically significant difference in the levels of shape variation between prehistoric and modern dogs. Shape variance is slightly higher for the different components of the inner ear in modern dogs than in wolves, but these differences are not significant. Wolves express a significantly greater level of variance in the angle between the lateral and the posterior canal than domestic dog breeds. Wolves have smaller levels of size variation than dogs. In terms of the shape of the semicircular canals, dingoes reflect the mean shape in the context of variation in the sample. This mirrors the condition of feral forms in other organs, in which there is an incomplete return to the characteristics of the ancestor. In general, morphological diversity or disparity in the inner ear is generated by scaling.
Highlights
A broad sample of wolves, dingoes, and domesticated dogs of different kinds and time periods was used to identify changes in size and shape of the organs of balance and hearing related to domestication and to evaluate the potential utility of uncovered patterns as markers of domestication
The petrosal is one of the most dense and taxonomically informative bones of the mammalian skeleton, and is often used in studies of ancient DNA14. It is usually neglected in zooarchaeological studies, as anatomical studies have not been conducted for comparisons of domesticated versus wild forms, an easier task given the possibility of non-invasive imaging of this complex structure
To explore variation in morphology associated with domestication, we examine specimens that represent both the first phases of domestication as well as intensive selective breeding, in addition to the dingo, a special case of a wild canid closely resembling domestic dogs
Summary
A broad sample of wolves, dingoes, and domesticated dogs of different kinds and time periods was used to identify changes in size and shape of the organs of balance and hearing related to domestication and to evaluate the potential utility of uncovered patterns as markers of domestication. The petrosal is one of the most dense and taxonomically informative bones of the mammalian skeleton, and is often used in studies of ancient DNA14 It is usually neglected in zooarchaeological studies, as anatomical studies have not been conducted for comparisons of domesticated versus wild forms, an easier task given the possibility of non-invasive imaging of this complex structure. A clear decrease in brain size resulting from dog domestication has been quantified and discerned in its anatomical details[3,18] All in all, these works show that physical changes in sensory parts of the skull can occur during domestication, but detecting and quantifying them requires a clear understanding of intraspecific variation. The general structure of the semicircular canals and the cochlea is highly conserved, the proportions
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