Dogs can tell if you're scared or sad
Researchers have used fMRI scans to demonstrate that dogs possess distinct brain activity patterns when processing different human emotions like sadness, fear, and anger. This study builds on previous behavioral evidence suggesting that canines have evolved a sophisticated social understanding of human facial expressions.
Why it matters
Understanding the neural basis of dog-human emotional connection provides insight into the evolutionary adaptations that have allowed dogs to become uniquely attuned to human social cues.
Dogs in MRI machines FTW Dogs can tell if you’re scared or sad fMRI scans show happiness, fear, anger, and sadness have distinct brain activity patterns in doggy brains.
8 Credit: Laura V. Cuaya/CC BY-SA Credit: Laura V. Cuaya/CC BY-SA Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Any dog owner would tell you that their canine companions are attuned to their humans’ emotional state and respond accordingly. Scientists have performed fMRI scans on dogs and identified a specific brain region that processes happy human facial expresses, like a smile, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience. They also found that dogs can tell the difference between negative facial expressions, specifically anger, sadness, and fear.
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