“Fighting in Ukraine has serious consequences not only for people, but also for domestic animals. A new scientific study shows that the war in a short time markedly affected the appearance and behavior of dogs that were once pets. The New York Times writes about it. The study, published in December in the journal Evolutionary Applications, found: conditions”, — write on: ua.news
Fighting in Ukraine has serious consequences not only for people, but also for domestic animals. A new scientific study shows that the war in a short time markedly affected the appearance and behavior of dogs that were once pets.
The New York Times writes about it.
A study published in December in the journal Evolutionary Applications showed that war conditions transformed some dogs in Ukraine into semi-feral or feral animals. The researchers collected data on 763 dogs in nine regions of the country, collaborating with shelters, veterinarians and volunteers. Information was collected both in relatively safe areas and near war zones.
Work directly on the front line was the most difficult. This part of the research was coordinated by the zoologist of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv Ihor Dykiy, who served as a volunteer in Donetsk region and Kharkiv region since 2022. He said that the homeless dogs who lived next to the soldiers were frightened by the shelling, suffered injuries and contusions, and sometimes remained crippled for life. According to him, the military tried to feed the animals and provide them with assistance.
Although the study focused on domestic dogs, many of them were effectively homeless after the outbreak of full-scale war. As the lead author of the paper, zoologist Maria Martsiv, notes, some of the animals were evacuated together with their owners, but others were left at train stations or in the occupied territories.
The results show that dogs that lived near the front quickly acquired traits characteristic of wild populations. Among them, there were less animals with too short or too long muzzles, the average body weight decreased, and the shape of the ears was more often erect. Such dogs were more like wolves, coyotes or dingoes.
The scientists also recorded behavioral changes: there were fewer old and sick animals on the front lines, dogs lived more often in groups, and survival was higher in those with so-called “wild” features – straight ears, a straight tail and fewer white spots.
The researchers emphasize that these changes are not an example of accelerated evolution. Rather, it is about hard selection: the conditions of war favor the survival of animals with certain characteristics. In particular, smaller dogs are less likely to blow up mines, can hide in narrow spaces and are less visible during shelling.
Despite the appearance of “wild” features, most dogs remained partially dependent on humans for food, supplementing their diet with plants or occasional hunting. In some cases, animals survived by feeding on the bodies of fallen soldiers, and some dogs were taken into the care of Ukrainian defenders. At the same time, scientists have also recorded examples of complete adaptation, when dogs on the front lines no longer needed the help of people to survive.
It will be recalled that the Defense Forces of Ukraine recently eliminated the commander of a separate battalion of the Russian “ArBat” fighters, Hayk Gasparian, on the alias “Abrek”.
At the front, the Ukrainian defense forces killed 25-year-old Elmi Ziyadzadeh, a titled boxer and master of sports of Russia, who was previously convicted of possession of hashish.
The defenders of Ukraine eliminated freestyle wrestling coach Oleksiy Almatov, the master of sports of Russia, during hostilities
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