Thousands of years of selective breeding by humans has resulted in an extraordinary degree of diversity in domestic dogs. Currently, more than 400 dog breeds are recognized internationally, running the gamut from 150-pound guard dogs to 5-pound toy companions.

Recently, genomic sequencing studies have begun to elucidate the genes behind dogs’ varied sizes and shapes. But much less is known about genetic differences in the ways dogs think and behave. Now, in a pair of new studies, researchers combine citizen science and big genomic data to examine whether there are genetically based breed differences in cognitive and behavioral traits.

Read the rest at my Animal Minds blog: Do Dog Breeds Differ in Cognitive Traits?

Wounds, especially chronic wounds, represent a significant clinical, social, and economic challenge. A recent retrospective analysis of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States identified that about 8.2 million people had at least one type of wound, with surgical wounds and diabetic ulcers among the most common and expensive to treat.

But even with the annual wound care products market expected to reach $15-–$22 billion by 2024, many aspects of wound care have remained unchanged for decades. Now, teams of clinicians and engineers are working on new technologies that have the potential to transform wound care, making the process smarter, faster, and more efficient.

Read the whole story at IEEE Pulse: The Future of Wound Care.

Songbirds seem to enjoy singing. And while a great deal of research has investigated the development and production of birdsong, little is known about the motivation to sing. Now, new research teases out the relationship between singing, reward, and endogenous opioids in songbirds. The results suggest that studying songbirds can teach us about the shared neurobiological mechanisms underlying social reward in all vertebrates, humans included.

Read my most recent Animal Minds post: Does Singing Give Birds a Natural High?

A century of commercial whaling across the North Atlantic cut a swath through the population of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus). Now, samples collected from whaling expeditions are actually helping scientists learn more about these elusive animals and work towards their conservation.

Read the post at my Animal Minds blog: Insights into Nursing and Weaning from Whale Teeth.