|
Story Views
|
|
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Different Cat Breeds Inherit Different Behaviors
Cats are our most popular pets but few studies have been conducted on their behavior.“Dozens of international studies have been conducted on dog breeds’ behavior traits and heritability, whereas ours is the first study on behavior trait heritability in cats,” says Milla Salonen (formerly Ahola), doctoral student at the University of Helsinki.The research group studied the heritability of behaviour traits in three different breeds: Maine Coon, Ragdoll and Turkish Van.
All studied traits manifested differences in behavior between various breeds: activity level, sociability with humans, shyness, aggressiveness and stereotypical behavior. The largest differences in behaviour were observed in activity and the smallest in stereotypical behavior.
“Since the age of about two weeks, activity is a reasonably permanent trait, whereas stereotypical behaviour is affected by many environmental factors early on in the cat’s life as well as later. This may explain the differences observed,” says Professor Hannes Lohi,the principal investigator of the feline genetic research group.
The research group studied the heritability of behavior traits in three different breeds: Maine Coon, Ragdoll and Turkish Van. These breeds were chosen because there was a sufficient number of questionnaire responses on them and there was also enough information on the parents of the cats.
“Furthermore, these breeds are genetically diverse. Based on prior research, the Maine Coon is related to Nordic cat breeds and landrace cats, while the Ragdoll is related to Western European and American cat breeds. The Turkish Van and Angora seem to have separated from other breeds,” says Lohi.
Approximately half of behavior traits are inherited
The study discovered that the heritability estimate of behavior traits varied from 0.40 to 0.50 on average. This means that little under half of the variation in behavior traits is explained by hereditary variation. Heritability estimates are fairly similar between cat breeds regardless of genetic differences between the breeds.
There are a number of alternative explanations for behavioral differences. It is possible that behavior has been subject to selection in the breeding of cats. It is possible that the aim has been to make some cats active and some docile. Behavior traits can also ‘hitchhike’ with some other selected gene, such as the gene for fur or eye color.
Based on the current research, differences can be explained partly by genetic similarity and partly by preference for certain features, such as long hair.
“However, discovering the evolutionary background of differences in behavior traits requires further studies,” says Lohi.
“In March, we published a new and improved feline behavior and personality questionnaire on the Petsofi platform with the aim of collecting responses on more than 20,000 cats. A sample size this large would allow us to conduct unique research as well as to confirm our current results, and I wish to take this opportunity to thank those cat owners who have already responded to the questionnaire,” says Lohi.
Contacts and sources:
Hannes Lohi
Citation:Breed differences of heritable behaviour traits in cats.
Salonen, M., Vapalahti, K., Tiira, K., Mäki-Tanila, A., & Lohi, H. (2019) Scientific Reports, 9:7949. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44324-x
Source: http://www.ineffableisland.com/2019/06/different-cat-breeds-inherit-different.html
Support BeforeitsNews by trying our
natural health products! Join our affiliate
program
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at www.mitocopper.com
Get our Free Ebook, "Suppressed
Health Secrets" with Natural Cures THEY don't want you to know!
APeX - Far
superior to colloidal silver! Destroys Viruses, Bacteria,
Pathogens with Oxygen plus Silver!Supreme Fulvic
- Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
Ultimate Curcumin
- Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much
more.
MitoCopper -
Bioavailable Copper
destroys
pathogens and gives you more
energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans
out
toxic buildup with oxygen!
Organic Hemp Extract (CBD) - Full Spectrum high CBD (3300mg) hemp extract eases stiff joints, relieves stress and more!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification,
mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter
radiation by 96%! (See Video)
FINAL WARNING! Diseases are EXPLODING! Watch this Video about APeX and You'll THROW AWAY Your Colloidal Silver! APeX destroys Viruses, Bacteria and other Pathogens with the power of Oxygen PLUS Silver! Nobody else has a product like THIS! See why the inventor hasn't been sick in 16 years and why you'll never hear about it on the FAKE NEWS! Get some now and tell your friends about it too so we can reach more people!
APeX Interview - Superior to Colloidal Silver from Lee Canady on Vimeo.
Learn about APeX Here and Get the 50 Page Report in PDF format. Call us at 888-809-8385 to order by phone.
