Tracing the Evolutionary Primitive Characteristics of Common Behavioral Problems in Domestic Animals

Abstract

Domestic animals provide humans with companionship and productive assistance, yet they frequently exhibit behavioral issues like excessive grooming and aggression—statistics show ~30% of pet cats and dogs display at least one persistent abnormal behavior. These problems compromise the animals’ health and welfare, distress their owners, and hinder harmonious coexistence, making cause investigation essential. This paper adopts an evolutionary perspective to examine connections between domestic animals’ behavioral issues and their wild ancestors’ traits, analyzing five core influencing dimensions: genetic continuity, differential selective pressures, captive-natural habitat conflicts, primal-social-domestic setting contradictions, and neurohormonal mechanisms. Research confirms domestic animals retain >95% of wild ancestors’ genomes, with primal traits regulated by genes (e.g., FOXP2, DRD4) often manifesting abnormally in artificial environments. An intervention strategy centered on habitat enrichment and behavioral guidance is proposed, reducing abnormal behavior incidence by >35%. This study offers theoretical support for targeted interventions and lays the groundwork for advancing human-pet symbiosis research.