How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) by Lee Alan Dugatkin

Writing a simple, straightforward narrative suitable for lay readers, Dugatkin and Trut spin complex genetic science into a fascinating story about adorable foxes. Unless otherwise indicated, all photographs are courtesy of Lyudmila Trut and the Institute of Cytology and Genetics.

In contrast, untamed foxes will cower or actively attack humans. The researchers discovered that, rather than creating new genetic mutations, changes in hormones related to tameness affected the timing for turning existing genetic traits on and off, which Belyaev called “destabilizing selection.” The authors weave other charming histories of other scientific studies and events throughout the book, including the discovery of hormones, pedigree analysis, animal communication, human evolution, and Belyaev’s travels in international scientific circles. Foxes bred for tamability will seek out human contact and try to attract attention by whimpering, licking, and sniffing. How to Tame a Fox (And Build a Dog): Visionary Scientists and a Siberian TaleBy Lee Alan Dugatkin and Lyudmila Trut Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry. It is an exploration of how genes, evolution and then environment shape behavior, and in a way that puts paid simplistic arguments about nature versus nurture. Within only a few generations (an astonishingly short time by genetic measures), they began to see domestication traits in the foxes, such as wagging tails, floppy ears, piebald coloration, loyalty, and puppy behaviors lasting longer. How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) is not only about dogs, or foxes, or even science under siege from political interests. Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with. They used silver foxes, close genetic cousins of wolves, and selected for tameness. Buy a cheap copy of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog). In 1959, Trut and Russian geneticist Dmitri Belyaev studied the mechanisms of domestication by attempting to breed the perfect dog from scratch. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) by Lee Alan Dugatkin, Lyudmila Trut at the best online.

Biologist Dugatkin ( The Altruism Equation) and Siberian geneticist Trut, one of the lead scientists of the famous Siberian fox farm experiment, summarize one of the world’s longest ongoing studies in animal behavior in a cheerful, easy-to-read account that expounds upon the wonders of scientific achievement.