Science at UM [S04-ep15]: A Brain with a Bite
This week on *A l’UM la science*, Allowen Evin, a researcher at the Montpellier Institute of Evolutionary Sciences ( ISEM) , discusses the intracranial volume of dogs based on their breed and functions. The segment takes us on a tour of the UM’s zoology collection with Audrey Théron. The show airs every Wednesday on Divergence FM 93.9.
Whether it’s Huskies, Spaniels, Staffordshire Terriers, Boxers, or rather Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and Poodles, the dog population in France now exceeds 9 million, according to journalist Mylène Bertaux, author of the 2024 report *Toutoute*.
In this book, the proud owner of a French bulldog observes and highlights how the role of dogs in our lives and in our cities has evolved, even going so far as to discuss a new status: “dog parents.” And it’s true that dog parks are increasingly resembling kindergartens, where it’s not uncommon, around 6 p.m., to hear some people worrying about their Labrador’s digestive or skin issues while others boast about the incredible learning abilities of their Australian Shepherd, who is likely gifted.
And yet, 15,000 years of living alongside humans have had a very clear effect on our Leika, Mabrouk, Snow, and other Fido-like dogs: it has caused their brains to shrink. Since dogs ceased to be wolves, their brain volume has decreased by 20%. This phenomenon is observed in all domesticated species compared to their wild relatives.
But is this intracranial volume correlated with other characteristics, such as a dog’s breed-specific function, temperament, or greater ability to cooperate with humans, for example? That is what Allowen Evin and Ana Balcarcel, researchers at the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences in Montpellier (ISEM), set out to investigate. They published a study titled“Breed Function and Behavior Are Correlated with Intracranial Volume in Domestic Dogs,” published in November 2024 in the journal Biology Letters, which Allowen Evin discusses with us today.
In the second half of the program, we invite you to rediscover the zoology collection at the University of Montpellier with Audrey Théron, the museum’s collection curator, who takes us on a tour through the long corridors of the Institute of Botany.
At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting and editing: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Director: Alice Rollet
Tune in to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9
