A human's best friend comes to <i>The Anatomical Record</i>: A special issue explores the world of the dog

Abstract

As we pen this article during the first crispness of fall, our world still labors under the unrelenting weight of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our universe is heavy with what seems like the never-ceasing silent cries of those afflicted, those mourning, and those fearing the silent beast. Even the physical beauty of our world has been affected: Utah's resplendent peaks have lost some of their luster (in part, the result of fearful smoke from a wave of unrelenting, recent fires); and the lights on New York's vaunted Broadway marquees have gone dim, putting a grey pallor on its usual warm glow. Our favorite restaurants are shuttered, many we fear permanently. And the faces of those who often robotically venture out to walk the streets are hidden behind masks that rob us all of our smiles. Travel to share our science with colleagues is but a cherished memory (we even miss our usual gladiator-like encounters with those disagreeing with our positions; ok, maybe there are a few curmudgeons we do not shed a tear over not hearing!). Even our children and grandchildren are affected as their usual funny/creepy Halloween costumes are relegated to the closet as our annual communal trek for candy and toys falls victim to this grim reaper. The pain of our current world is undeniably unrelenting and draining; there is little to lift our spirits or bring a warming smile. But, then, there is Fido. Or Rex, or Spot, or Lady, or Tramp, or Lassie. For those of us fortunate to share our world with a human's best friend, the miseries and robbing sadness of our days are momentarily forgotten when we come home, or just walk down the stairs, and are met by our loyal companion. The innate exuberance that greets us, the warming sensorial interactions (them licking, us kissing or petting, both freeing our endorphins) instantly changes our frown to a smile. These seemingly simple encounters are actually the end product of thousands of years of cohabitation. Not only being in proximity to one another, tolerating one another, or some symbiotic host/guest relationship, our “special relationship” is probably unique in the mammalian world. Indeed, the very success of our species, it has been argued, may well in part be due to the iron bond between humans and dogs. This unique bond between mammalian kin is the topic of this month's Special Issue. Entitled, “The Dog–Human Connection,” it is Guest Edited by Associate Editor Timothy D. Smith of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Blaire Van Valkenburgh of the University of California, Los Angeles. The issue focuses a shining light on the many remarkable features of dogs from anatomical, physiological, evolutionary, and even behavioral directions, and how these have affected our bond Smith & Van Valkenburgh, 2021, this issue). The issue arose in large part from an Anatomical Record sponsored symposium, “The Dog–Human Connection: Evolution, Morphology and Behavior,” organized by Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Adam Miklósi, Greger Larson, Jeff Laitman, and Tim Smith and held at the 12th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology in Prague in July of 2019. In between marveling at the extraordinary beauty of this ancient city and embracing its fabulous food (and beers!), the participants delve deeply and broadly into the amazing world of our most loyal companions. Smith and Van Valkenburgh are regular contributors to our journal, for example, having teamed up previously to produce a now classic special issue on “The Vertebrate Nose: Evolution, Structure, and Function” (Laitman, 2014; Laitman & Albertine, 2014; Van Valkenburgh, Smith, & Craven, 2014). Both are stars in the anatomical and zoological firmament, having produced insightful science and fostered—as they have here—robust thought and integrated approaches to comprehending a broader picture of their target. Blaire—we are all too familiar for scholarly niceties—is the queen of the carnivorans and has studied and published on numerous aspects of their current and p