The evolution of social behavior in dogs and wolves

Abstract

Patterns of social behavior in the Family Canidae appear to be conservative traits in evolution. Darwin's concept of sexual selection may be broadened to "social selection," including all factors in the social environment which exert selection pressure. In a highly social species, the social environment tends to be stable, generation after generation, accounting for the stability of social behavioral patterns. The evolution of social behavior is also related to development, with different and sometimes opposite selection pressures acting at different periods in life. Some myths and misconceptions regarding dog-wolf behavior are described, and some problems for future research outlined. © 1967 American Society of Zoologists.