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The Belyaev Fox Experiment: Selective Breeding, Tameness, and Domestication In 1959, Soviet geneticist Dmitry Belyaev began a long-term experiment at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk to investigate how wild animals might undergo domestication. Working with silver foxes (*Vulpes vulpes*) from fur farms, he selected approximately the tamest 10% in each generation as breeding parents. Selection focused mainly on behaviour—reduced fear and aggression and greater willingness to interact with humans—rather than on physical traits. The results were rapid and striking. Within about six generations, some foxes licked researchers’ hands, accepted physical contact, wagged their tails, and actively sought human attention (Dugatkin, 2018). Over time, selection for tameness was accompanied by changes in coat pigmentation, ear and tail shape, reproductive patterns, physiology, and behaviour (Trut et al., 2009). These traits resembled features found in domestic dogs and other domesticated mammals and became associated with the “domestication syndrome,” which includes reduced aggression, increased social tolerance, juvenile behaviours, pigmentation changes, and altered craniofacial development. Belyaev proposed that selection for reduced fear and aggression could affect wider developmental and physiological systems. Later research suggested that changes involving neural crest cells might help explain how behavioural selection could produce multiple physical traits (Wilkins et al., 2014). The experiment also offered a model for dog domestication. Early wolves that were less fearful and aggressive may have remained near human settlements, where they experienced a new selective environment. Over generations, increasing tolerance of humans could have led to further behavioural, physiological, and morphological changes. Belyaev’s experiment remains important because it shows how behavioural selection can rapidly influence development, genetics, and evolution, while also highlighting the need for caution when applying the concept of a universal domestication syndrome. **References:** Belyaev (1979); Dugatkin (2018); Lord et al. (2020); Trut et al. (2009); Wilkins et al. (2014).

Let's hope the Feds enforce the "Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act that covers serious bodily injury to animals. Los Angeles animals 🐕🦮🐾😿🐈need protection! You can help with evidence by taking photos, giving dates, times and locations along with a description of the #AnimalRights #EndAnimalCruelty #ProtectAnimals #US

❤️‍🩹 Η αγάπη τον έφερε πίσω στο σπίτι. Σοβαρά τραυματισμένος από τη φωτιά στο Πόρτο Γερμενό, με εγκαύματα στις πατούσες, ένας σκύλος κατάφερε να διασχίσει την καμένη περιοχή και να επιστρέψει στο σπίτι όπου τον φρόντιζαν. 🐾 Εξαντλημένος, αλλά βρίσκοντας τη δύναμη να γυρίσει στο μέρος όπου ένιωθε ασφαλής, εντοπίστηκε και μεταφέρθηκε σε κτηνιατρείο. Σύμφωνα με τη φιλοζωική ομάδα Dog’s Voice, το Σάββατο 8 Αυγούστου θα μεταφερθεί σε ειδική κτηνιατρική κλινική για εντατική νοσηλεία και αντιμετώπιση των σοβαρών εγκαυμάτων του. 📸 @DogsVoiceGR #iefimerida #ΠόρτοΓερμενό #love #animals #rescue

Mogło Państwu wczoraj umknąć, więc informuję: pan prezydent był łaskaw podpisać ustawę łańcuchową, tak naprawdę gorszą niż wersja pierwotna przez niego zawetowana, bo tutaj rozmiary kojców ma określać w rozporządzeniu minister rolnictwa, co nie tylko daje kompletną dowolność, ale dodatkowo niestabilność prawa. Jeden minister wyznaczy taką normę, ludzie kupią kojce, a następny machnie podpis i rozmiary się zmienią. Niestety, kolejny raz okazuje się, że w pewnych obszarach pan Nawrocki jest całkowicie ślepy. Nie czuje pewnych trendów kulturowych czy światopoglądowych, nie jest wrażliwy na kwestie wolności osobistej. W sprawach animalsowych idzie linią pana Kaczyńskiego - KROPiK przecież też podpisał. #prawo #polityka #wolność

❗️Σήμερα αντιμετώπισα ξανά το ίδιο πρόβλημα. ❗️Πήγα να αφήσω φαγητό σε μία από τις γάτες που φροντίζω στην περιοχή και, όταν επέστρεψα, είχαν πετάξει ξανά το μπολ, το φαγητό και το νερό. ❗️Αυτή τη φορά, παρότι είχα μαζί μου μπολ, αποφάσισα να αφήσω το φαγητό πάνω στο σημείο. ❗️Για έναν πολύ απλό λόγο. ❗️Για να καταλάβει όποιος το κάνει ότι, είτε πετάξει το μπολ είτε όχι, τα ζώα θα έχουν πάντα φαγητό και νερό. ❗️Το ίδιο έκανα και λίγο πιο πάνω, όπου άφησα νερό για τα περιστέρια, γιατί ούτε εκεί υπήρχε. ❗️Σήμερα δεν άκουσα κανέναν να φωνάζει ή να βρίζει τα ζώα. Όμως το αποτέλεσμα ήταν ακριβώς το ίδιο. ❗️Κάποιος εξακολουθεί να καταστρέφει συστηματικά την προσπάθεια να έχουν λίγη τροφή και λίγο νερό ανυπεράσπιστα ζώα. ❗️Την επόμενη φορά θα απομακρυνθώ διακριτικά και θα παρακολουθήσω το σημείο, ώστε να διαπιστώσω ποιος προβαίνει σε αυτές τις ενέργειες. ❗️Και τότε η υπόθεση θα πάρει τον δρόμο που προβλέπει ο νόμος. ❗️Δεν μου αρέσουν οι εντάσεις. Δεν πιστεύω στη βία ούτε στις φωνές. ❗️Πιστεύω όμως ότι κανείς δεν έχει το δικαίωμα να στερεί από ένα ζώο το νερό και το φαγητό που του αφήνει κάποιος για να επιβιώσει. ❗️Και αυτό δεν πρόκειται να το αφήσω άλλο να περνά απαρατήρητο. ⸻ 🇬🇧 Today I faced the exact same problem again. ❗️I went to leave food for one of the stray cats I care for, and when I came back, someone had once again thrown away the bowl, the food and the water. ❗️This time, even though I had brought a bowl with me, I decided to leave the food right there anyway. ❗️For one very simple reason. ❗️To show whoever keeps doing this that, whether they throw the bowl away or not, these animals will always have food and water. ❗️I did the same a little further up the road, where I left fresh water for the pigeons because there was none available. ❗️Today I didn’t hear anyone shouting or insulting the animals. Yet the result was exactly the same. ❗️Someone continues to deliberately sabotage every effort to provide food and water to defenseless animals. ❗️Next time, I will keep my distance and observe the area so I can identify the person responsible. ❗️Then the matter will be handled through the legal process. ❗️I don’t like conflict. I don’t believe in violence or aggression. ❗️But I do believe that no one has the right to deprive an animal of the food and water someone offers simply to help it survive. ❗️And I will no longer allow this to go unnoticed. #Animals #StrayCats #AnimalWelfare #RespectLife #Nemesis #AnimalWelfare #StrayCats #RespectLife

Does anyone else sometimes think about millions of animals being tortured every day. Being torn from their mothers, being slaughtered or used for heavy work every day and having lost their will to live? I sometimes see these images or videos of abused animals and I’m thinking how #AnimalRights #EndAnimalCruelty #CompassionForAnimals #Thetweetdoesnotmentionanyspecificcountries.Therefore #therearenocountrycodestoreturn.

while #IDFWarCriminals have been travelling abroad free as the air -in #Italy they have enjoyed luxury resorts and parks- #Palestianians who need urgent medical treatment are treated by #Israeli authorities as animals. This is who they are: https://t.co/pTxLDO3Gnu #IDFWarCriminals #Palestinians #Israel #IT #PS #IL

US to open the habitats of imperiled animals to farming, drilling, mining, real estate development: the most severe erosion of protections for wildlife in 50 years. Destroying an endangered species’ nest or habitat would no longer be considered illegal https://t.co/45rEW7ffHc #WildlifeProtection #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalImpact #US

Prevention is better than cure for animal health, farmers and 🇪🇺food security. The new #LivestockStrategy also addresses #animalwelfare, because healthy, well-cared-for animals mean stronger farms, safer food systems and more resilient rural communities. Watch my key messages⬇️ https://t.co/DScrmWOMrA #AnimalHealth #FoodSecurity #AnimalWelfare #EU

Animal welfare means healthier animals & competitive sector. Proposals will follow: 🔹 laying hens&broilers in 2026 🔹 pigs in 2027 Farmers need support & fair conditions. Our goal is clear: high 🇪🇺standards, strong rural communities & livestock sector ready for the future. #AnimalWelfare #SustainableFarming #SupportFarmers #EU

Animal talk: AI is helping to understand how animals communicate with each other— Darwin argued that language was “half art, half instinct”, the use of organized sounds to express feelings and be understood by others was not an activity exclusive to humans https://t.co/x0huWYswiV #AnimalCommunication #AIEthology #Darwin #Thetweetdoesnotmentionanyspecificcountries.Therefore #theresponseisempty.

The animals condemned to live behind bars — EU promised a law to progressively eliminate cages in livestock farming 5 years ago, but it's still pending and 300 million animals remain in confinement to be born, grow and die hardly able to move https://t.co/mexW3he8v6 #AnimalRights #EndCages #EUAnimalWelfare #EU

Eles fazem referência não apenas ao movimento repetitivo de um carrossel, mas também a Aliens e às sombras projetadas no chão com “I’m walking with my own dirt”, de Like Animals. E ainda tem o Namjoon no final onde ele mesmo comentou que MGR fala sobre o período em que esteve longe de nós, marcado por dias repetitivos e sem fim durante o SM. E no fim? Eles SEMPRE voltam uns para os outros Esse MV ta simplesmente LINDO! #MV #LikeAnimals #Namjoon