Functionally analogous body- and animacy-responsive areas are present in the dog (Canis familiaris) and human occipito-temporal lobe

Autor(en)

Magdalena Boch, Isabella C. Wagner, Sabrina Karl, Ludwig Huber, Claus Lamm

Abstrakt

Comparing the neural correlates of socio-cognitive skills across species provides insights into the evolution of the social brain and has revealed face- and body-sensitive regions in the primate temporal lobe. Although from a different lineage, dogs share convergent visuo-cognitive skills with humans and a temporal lobe which evolved independently in carnivorans. We investigated the neural correlates of face and body perception in dogs (N = 15) and humans (N = 40) using functional MRI. Combining univariate and multivariate analysis approaches, we found functionally analogous occipito-temporal regions involved in the perception of animate entities and bodies in both species and face-sensitive regions in humans. Though unpredicted, we also observed neural representations of faces compared to inanimate objects, and dog compared to human bodies in dog olfactory regions. These findings shed light on the evolutionary foundations of human and dog social cognition and the predominant role of the temporal lobe.

Organisation(en)

Department für Verhaltens- und Kognitionsbiologie, Institut für Psychologie der Kognition, Emotion und Methoden, Zentrum für Mikrobiologie und Umweltsystemwissenschaft, Institut für Geographie und Regionalforschung, Institut für Philosophie

Externe Organisation(en)

Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien

Journal

Communications Biology

Band

6

ISSN

2399-3642

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05014-7

Publikationsdatum

12-2023

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

501030 Kognitionswissenschaft, 301409 Neuroanatomie

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Medicine (miscellaneous), Allgemeine Biochemie, Genetik und Molekularbiologie, Allgemeine Agrar- und Biowissenschaften

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/154b4c15-3325-4f98-b009-716dcb40bacc