Unit 1.1 Why does my dog fetch?- Dopamine in Animals
- Grace Andino
- Jun 24, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 7, 2023
What is it?
Dopamine is also known as the most natural motivator known to mankind. This neurotransmitter is sent back and forth between nerve cells, and can act as a chemical messenger. Dopamine plays a crucial part in the lives of animals, humans, and even plants! It is the sole cause of motivation for living species, and can improve one's focus and interest. Dopamine can act as a reward for some, and can lead to craving it more.
Effects in Certain Animal Groups
Though present in all animals, this dopamine “pleasure center” is most common in mammals. In domestic animals,like dogs and cats, the role of dopamine is obvious. When a dog is asked to fetch, or a cat is given a yarn ball, dopamine is released from the pleasure center. But what about animals in the wild?
A study by Mary Ann Raghanti, she compared tissue from the brains of 38 species, and compared their striatum. She discovered dopamine is drastically extant in humans compared to apes and gorillas. Surprisingly enough, humans contain less acetylcholine, the source of dominant behavior. For many centuries, dopamine has motivated animals into having reward seeking behavior, and is the basic form of their instinct to locate food, prey, and resources.
For many animals, dopamine is released in response to the feeling of reward. Just like humans, animals need a healthy amount of dopamine in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, dog secret dopamine in a number of instances.
When a dog is waiting to receive an award
When dogs are anticipating a certain event
Too much secretion of dopamine can lead to animals feeling agitated, over arousal, and
compulsive behavior.
Dopamine in Evolution
In recent studies, the amount of dopamine secreted is a key divider between the evolution of
humans and apes. Humans have a “dramatically increased” level of dopamine in the brain, which
is one of the key factors that advanced humans in the evolution process. This difference in
dopamine between animals and humans has led to social awareness in humans over other species,
as well as control human aggression levels and help them care for one another.
Dopamine has also allowed species to stay alive for thousands of years. As a response to a
reward, the secretion of dopamine has allowed numerous species to fight over flight, and strive to
survive in harsh environments.
Conclusion
The presence of dopamine is evident in not only humans, but animals alike. It provided the first animals with a purpose for living, and to this day gives our furry friends a healthy lifestyle.
Works Used
Barron, A. B., Søvik, E., & Cornish, J. L. (2010). The roles of dopamine and related compounds in reward-seeking behavior across animal phyla. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 4, 163. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00163
Previc F. H. (1999). Dopamine and the origins of human intelligence. Brain and cognition, 41(3), 299–350. https://doi.org/10.1006/brcg.1999.1129
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