Previous research shows that yawning enhances intracranial circulation and regulates brain temperature. Consistent with these functional outcomes, yawn duration correlates positively with interspecies variation in brain weight across mammals, with robust relationships documented at both the taxonomic rank of class and the more restricted scale of family (e.g., Felidae). This study provides the first investigation into whether differences in brain weight within a single species, domesticated dogs Canis lupus familiaris, can predict intraspecific variation in yawn duration. Measures of yawn duration were obtained from public videos available online and then paired with previously published brain and body weight data of different dog breeds. The final sample consisted of 272 yawns from 198 dogs across 23 breeds. Consistent with recent studies, we find robust correlations between yawn duration and brain weight across breeds. Moreover, these correlations remain significant after controlling for differences in body weight across breeds. These findings replicate and extend upon past work in this area and provide further support that yawns evolved to serve an important and large-scale neurophysiologic function.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.