Brain size reduction in dogs was already established at least by the Late Neolithic of western Europe, 5,000 years ago
Thomas Cucchi, Lt. Col. Peter L. Hays, Alessio Veneziano, Margot Michaud, Colline Brassard, Rose‐Marie Arbogast, Pierre Pétrequin, Mietje Germonpré, Évelyne Crégut-Bonnoure, Frédéric Elleboudt, Kálmán Czeibert, László Zsolt Garamszegi, Enikö Kubinyi B, Niclas Kolm, Tibor Csorgo, , Sandrine Ladevèze
This study shows that brain size reduction in dogs began in the Late Neolithic, 5,000 years ago, with a 46% decrease compared to prehistoric wolves.
Royal Society Open Science · Apr 29, 2026Peer-reviewedZoology