Fox Domestication in Russia: A Fascinating Experiment in Genetic Selection

The domestication of animals has a long history, but one of the most intriguing and remarkable experiments took place in Russia, specifically in Novosibirsk, during the late 1960s. This experiment involved the domestication of foxes and was led by the renowned geneticist Dmitry Belyaev. The research aimed to understand the process of domestication and explore the genetic and behavioral changes that occur over generations. Let us delve into the fascinating world of fox domestication in Russia.

The Experiment Begins:
Dmitry Belyaev, driven by his curiosity about the common ancestry of dog breeds and their relationship with wolves and foxes, proposed targeted selection as a means to domesticate foxes rapidly. The economic significance of furs in the USSR further supported the initiative. With the approval of his experiment, Belyaev embarked on his groundbreaking research in Novosibirsk's Academgorodok.

Collaboration and Selection:
Belyaev collaborated with biologist Lyudmila Trut to carry out the experiment. Their first step was to visit fur farms across the USSR to select black-brown foxes that displayed the highest level of obedience. The specific selection criteria were known only to the researchers, ensuring the integrity of the experiment.

Crossbreeding and Offspring:
After careful selection, 30 males and around 100 females were chosen for the experiment. The researchers initiated a process of natural and controlled breeding, allowing the foxes to produce offspring. From these offspring, fox cubs exhibiting not only friendliness but also curiosity towards humans were selectively bred. The remaining foxes were either sent to zoos or used for breeding purposes.

Remarkable Transformations:
After several generations, significant changes began to manifest. The domesticated foxes showed a remarkable lack of fear towards humans, actively seeking contact and displaying increased interest. Their aggressive tendencies diminished, differentiating them from their wild counterparts. These friendly foxes even demonstrated happiness upon encountering humans, eagerly inviting interaction and seeking affectionate gestures.

Physical and Behavioral Changes:
The transformation of the domesticated foxes extended beyond their behavior. Anatomical changes became evident over time, with the foxes developing wider skulls. However, their legs experienced a reduction in length, potentially impacting their ability to run swiftly. Nevertheless, these changes did not hinder their enthusiasm for food, as they eagerly sprinted towards their bowls during feeding time.

Expanded Breeding Potential:
One of the most notable outcomes of the experiment was the increased breeding potential of domesticated foxes. Unlike their wild counterparts, they could mate at any time, resulting in more frequent occurrences of offspring. This aspect of the experiment further contributed to the understanding of genetic and behavioral changes associated with domestication.

Conclusion:
The domestication of foxes in Russia stands as a remarkable scientific experiment that shed light on the intricate process of domestication and the genetic and behavioral changes that occur over generations. Dmitry Belyaev and his team's pioneering work showcased the potential for targeted selection to expedite the domestication process. The experiment's success highlights the impact of genetic manipulation on the behavior and physical traits of animals. Through this study, the world gained valuable insights into the complex relationship between humans and the animal kingdom, opening new avenues for understanding domestication and evolutionary biology.

[GeneticsLessons]

In 1959, Soviet scientists embarked on an audacious experiment to breed a population of tame foxes, a strain of animals that wouldn’t be aggressive or fearful of people. Scientists painstakingly selected the friendliest foxes to start each new generation, and within 10 cycles they began to see differences from wild foxes — fox pups that wagged their tails eagerly at people or with ears that stayed folded like a dog’s. This study in animal domestication, known as the Russian farm-fox experiment, could have been a fascinating historical footnote — a quirky corner in the otherwise fraught scientific heritage of Soviet Russia. Instead, it spawned ongoing research into how domestication, based purely on behavioural traits, can result in other changes such as curlier tails and changes to fur colour. Now the tools of modern biology are revealing the genetic changes that underpin the taming of foxes of Siberia. In a new study, published Monday in Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists used genome sequencing to identify 103 stretches of the fox genome that appear to have been changed by breeding, a first pass at identifying the genes that make some foxes comfortable with humans and others wary and aggressive. The scientists studied the genomes of 10 foxes from three different groups: the tame population, a strain that was bred to be aggressive toward people and a conventional group bred to live on a farm. Having genetic information from all three groups allowed the researchers to identify regions of the genome that were likely to have changed due to the active selection of animals with different behaviours, rather than natural fluctuation over time. Those regions offer starting points in efforts to probe the genetic basis and evolution of complex traits, such as sociability or aggressiveness.

[dreamer_deer]

Can you please make a video on native Assamese people beings half Mongoloid and half Caucasian? (Like the people whose surnames are Gogoi, Borah, Boruah, Saikia, Duarah, etc)