How domestication and selective breeding changed the cerebellar anatomy and play partner preference in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

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dc.contributor.authorWaner Mariquito, Renata
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorIwaniuk, Andrew N.
dc.contributor.supervisorPellis, Sergio M.
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-22T20:12:53Z
dc.date.available2025-08-22T20:12:53Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.degree.levelMasters
dc.description.abstractDomestication has led to many changes in how animals look, behave, and physiology. With time, selective breeding has added to these changes, creating different breeds and strains with their own traits. The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a good example of this process, as laboratory rats were shaped by generations of breeding, and now show clear differences from wild rats. Here, we examined how domestication and selective breeding differentially affect: 1) cerebellar anatomy; and 2) play partner preferences. Using stereology, we compared cerebellar volumes, layer volumes, and Purkinje cell sizes and numbers in Long Evans (LE), Sprague-Dawley (SD), and wild rats. LE rats had larger cerebella but smaller Purkinje cells, while SD rats overlapped with wild rats in most measures. We also tested play behaviour in groups formed by LEs, SDs and Fischer 344 (F344) rats. We found that LE rats preferred playing with their own strain and with SD rats. Both LE and SD rats, however, consistently avoided playing with the F344s. These findings demonstrate that domestication produces a mosaic of neurobehavioural changes rather than uniform changes. We highlight the need for strain-specific approaches in neuroscience research and propose future studies comparing F344 cerebellar anatomy and olfactory influences on partner choice.
dc.embargoNo
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7109
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Neuroscience
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Science
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (Univeristy of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)
dc.subjectselective breeding
dc.subjectcerebellar anatomy
dc.subjectpartner preference
dc.subjectRattus norvegicus
dc.subjectneurobehavioural changes
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic
dc.subject.lcshDomestication
dc.subject.lcshRats as laboratory animals
dc.subject.lcshRats--Behavior
dc.subject.lcshRats--Anatomy
dc.subject.lcshRats--Physiology
dc.subject.lcshRats--Breeding
dc.subject.lcshRats--Nervous system
dc.subject.lcshAnimal behavior
dc.subject.lcshPlay behavior in animals
dc.subject.lcshCerebellum--Anatomy
dc.subject.lcshCerebellum--Physiology
dc.subject.lcshCerebellum--Evolution
dc.subject.lcshRats--Evolution
dc.titleHow domestication and selective breeding changed the cerebellar anatomy and play partner preference in rats (Rattus norvegicus)
dc.typeThesis
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