Comparative Brain Imaging Reveals Analogous and Divergent Patterns of Species and Face Sensitivity in Humans and Dogs

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2800-19.2020
• Publication Date: 2020-10-05T21:55:13Z
• Authors: Nóra Bunford; Raúl Hernández-Pérez; Eszter Borbála Fa...; Laura V. Cuaya; Dóra Szabó; Ádám György Szabó; Márta Gácsi; Ádám Miklósi; Attila Andics
• Keywords: Superior temporal sulcus

Conspecific-preference in social perception is evident for multiple sensory modalities and many species. There also a dedicated neural network face processing primates. However, the evolutionary origin relative role of species sensitivity visuo-social are largely unknown. In this comparative study, to identical visual stimuli (videos human dog faces occiputs) were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging dogs ( n = 20; 45% female) humans 30; 50% female). dogs, bilateral mid suprasylvian gyrus showed conspecific-preference, no regions exhibited face-preference, majority visually-responsive cortex greater conspecific-preference than face-preference. humans, conspecific-preferring (the right amygdala/hippocampus posterior superior temporal sulcus) much face-preference conspecific-preference. Multivariate pattern analyses (MVPAs) identified species-sensitive both species, but face-sensitive only humans. Across-species representational similarity (RSAs) revealed stronger correspondence between response patterns distinguishing conspecific from heterospecific other contrasts. Results unveil analogies conspecificity suggest that cortical specialization may not be ubiquitous across mammals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To explore origins its relationship we conducted first noninvasive neuroimaging study non-primate primate Conspecific-preferring brain observed face-preferring an overwhelming whereas Together, these findings differences organizing principles two phylogenetically distant mammal