Name: 為什麼有這麼多不同種類的狗？- 凱瑟琳-莫里爾-皮羅維奇 (Why are there so many different kinds of dogs? - Kathleen Morrill Pirovich)
Uploaded: 2025-08-29T08:35:13.000Z
Duration: 5 min 6 s

In the 1500s, there was a little dog called Turnspit, whose job was to roast meat.

1500 年代，有一種叫 Turnspit 的小狗，它的工作就是烤肉。

The dog was a widespread kitchen attendant until the mid-1800s, when new tech took the breed's trade.

直到 19 世紀中葉，新技術取代了該犬種的地位，使其成為一種廣泛使用的廚房用犬。

The Turnspit was just one of a vast constellation of dog breeds, past and present.

Turnspit 只是過去和現在眾多犬種中的一種。

The immense physical variety of dogs makes them among the world's most diverse species, and likely the one with the greatest range in size.

狗的身體種類繁多，是世界上最多樣化的物種之一，也可能是體型最大的物種。

A Pomeranian, for example, might weigh 2 kilograms, while a Mastiff could tip the scale to 100.

例如，一隻博美犬可能重 2 千克，而一隻獒犬的體重可能達到 100 千克。

And what does a dog's breed actually say about them?

All dogs descend from ancient wolves that started living around humans at least 15,000 years ago.

所有狗都是遠古狼的後代，它們至少在 15000 年前就開始生活在人類周圍。

Dogs are the first domesticated species by a landslide of thousands of years.

狗是最早被馴化的物種，距今已有數千年的歷史。

Over time, it's thought that humans began relying on dogs for specific tasks, and selectively breeding them for particular traits, fueling the dramatic diversification of dogs planet-wide.

人們認為，隨著時間的推移，人類開始依賴狗來完成特定的任務，並針對狗的特定特徵進行選擇性繁殖，從而推動了全球範圍內狗的急劇多樣化。

By 11,000 years ago, they'd already assumed an array of appearances, and finally, formalized dog breeding took off in Victorian England.

1.1 萬年前，它們已經有了各種各樣的外表，最後，在維多利亞時代的英國，正式的狗繁殖開始了。

Instead of mating dogs to emphasize their function, people selectively inbred dogs to achieve particular features, and established overarching breed standards.

人們不是讓狗交配來強調它們的功能，而是有選擇性地讓狗近親繁殖，以實現特定的功能，並制定了全面的品種標準。

But while maintaining specific lines of inheritance and characteristics is important to kennel clubs, breed genetics are complex.

但是，雖然保持特定的遺傳系和特徵對犬舍俱樂部來說很重要，但品種遺傳學是很複雜的。

In one study, where scientists sequenced the genomes of different dog breeds, ten major groups emerged that roughly aligned with the lineage's historic working role, from pointing and flushing to scent tracking and retrieving.

在一項研究中，科學家們對不同犬種的基因組進行了測序，結果發現有十大類犬種與該犬種的歷史工作角色大致吻合，從指向和衝刺到氣味追蹤和尋回。

Within different breeds, scientists may be able to identify distinct genetic signatures, but it's difficult to untangle how those genetic signatures actually shape breed-defining traits.

在不同的品種中，科學家們也許能找出不同的遺傳特徵，但很難弄清這些遺傳特徵究竟是如何形成決定品種的性狀的。

This is especially true when it comes to parsing how much a dog's breed informs their personality, as defined by their consistent behaviors across a range of scenarios.

在分析狗狗的品種對其性格的影響程度時，這一點尤為重要，因為狗狗的性格是由它們在各種情況下的一貫行為所決定的。

When researchers in one study compared the genetic data from many different dogs, they found about 9% of a dog's personality traits were attributed specifically to its breed.

在一項研究中，研究人員比較了許多不同狗狗的基因數據，發現約有 9% 的狗狗性格特徵是由其品種決定的。

Some of the traits in the study that were most heritable seem to be derived from long-standing predatory behaviors also exhibited in wolves.

研究中遺傳性最強的一些特徵似乎來自狼長期以來的捕食行為。

This is seen in how border collies stalk with their eyes, and how golden retrievers chase and grab bite, and other traits also seem to have gotten ingrained along the way.

這可以從邊境牧羊犬如何用眼睛跟蹤、金毛獵犬如何追逐和抓咬以及其他特徵似乎也已經根深蒂固中看出來。

For example, breeds like Portuguese water dogs do tend to be especially comfortable getting wet.

例如，葡萄牙水犬等犬種就特別喜歡淋雨。

Retrievers have an aptitude for fetch, and for dogs like huskies, malamutes, and hounds, howling seems habitual.

尋回獵犬有取物的天分，而對於哈士奇、馬拉美特犬和獵犬等犬類來說，嚎叫似乎是一種習慣。

How well a dog responds to human direction was another of the most heritable behavioral traits by breed, with border collies standing out.

狗狗對人類指令的反應能力是另一個按品種劃分的最易遺傳的行為特徵，其中邊境牧羊犬最為突出。

Other behaviors, including circling before pooping, and how easily provoked or aggressive a dog is, don't appear to be super breed-specific.

其他行為，包括在大便前轉圈，以及狗狗容易被激怒或具有攻擊性的程度，似乎並不具有超強的品種特異性。

So, while pit bull terriers are widely considered to be more aggressive dogs, this research cast doubt on their reputation.

是以，儘管人們普遍認為比特鬥牛梗犬更具攻擊性，但這項研究卻對它們的名聲提出了質疑。

Toy breeds did appear to be more independent and less sociable with other dogs, but non-genetic factors could be at work.

玩具犬似乎更加獨立，與其他狗的交際能力較弱，但這可能與非遺傳因素有關。

For example, smaller dogs might not initiate much play with other dogs because they're small, or how they're socialized, and not necessarily due to how their genes wire their brains.

例如，體型較小的狗狗可能不會主動與其他狗狗玩耍，這是因為它們體型小，或者它們的社交方式，而不一定是它們的大腦基因決定的。

The same study found that, beyond breed, less than 25% of a dog's personality was accounted for by their genes.

同一項研究發現，除了品種之外，狗的性格只有不到 25% 是由基因決定的。

So, genetics play a role, but they're not nearly everything.

是以，遺傳起著一定的作用，但幾乎不是全部。

This is also illustrated in service dog breeding programs, which deliberately breed certain dogs based on their temperament.

服務犬繁殖計劃也說明了這一點，這些計劃有意根據某些狗的性情進行繁殖。

This yields lots of dogs suited for service, but because of individual variation, some still don't make the cut.

這就產生了很多適合服務的狗，但由於個體差異，有些狗還是不能入選。

As much as humans have heavily tinkered with canine characteristics, dog behavior is shaped by a complex mix of their genes and environment, and breed alone appears to be a pretty poor proxy for all that makes up the personality of a given pup.

雖然人類對犬類的特徵進行了大量的改良，但犬的行為是由其基因和環境的複雜組合形成的，僅憑犬種似乎並不能完全代表特定幼犬的個性。

So, how did wolves evolve into man's best friend?

那麼，狼是如何進化成人類最好的朋友的呢？

Trace the history of how humans domesticated dogs with this video, or find out what's behind that peculiar urge you have to squeeze and smush adorable creatures with this one.

通過這段視頻追溯人類如何馴化狗的歷史，或者通過這段視頻瞭解你擠壓和碾壓可愛動物的奇特衝動背後的原因。