Dogs’ brains began to shrink at least 5,000 years ago, study finds
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- Dr Thomas Cucchi led the study that scanned 22 prehistoric canines and 163 modern canines to track brain size changes over time.
- French National Centre for Scientific Research coordinated the work, which found modern dogs have brains 32% smaller than wolves overall.
- Royal Society Open Science published the results, noting Late Neolithic dogs (5,000‑4,500 years ago) had brains 46% smaller than contemporary wolves, a size comparable to today’s pugs.
- Late Neolithic dogs exhibited a 46% brain size reduction relative to wolves of the same era, even after adjusting for body size.
- Protodogs from 35,000‑15,000 years ago showed no brain shrinkage, and one specimen even had a relatively larger brain than ancient wolves.
Why it matters: Dog breeders and canine geneticists gain a concrete timeline—46% brain shrinkage in Late Neolithic dogs and 22 ancient specimens—allowing refined breed standards and potentially reducing health issues linked to brain size.
