Science Friday Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication?
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Jan 8, 2026 
Join Raffaela Lesch, a biology expert researching raccoons and domestication, and Pamela Yeh, an ecology professor focused on urban evolution. They dive into how city-dwelling raccoons are evolving with shorter snouts, signaling potential domestication. They discuss the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on songbirds, revealing beak shape changes. Explore the continuum of domestication and what it might take for raccoons to become household pets, while reflecting on human impacts on urban wildlife.
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Viral Drunk Raccoon Sparked Interest
- A Virginia liquor-store raccoon video went viral and prompted commentary from Raffaela Lesch about raccoon behavior.
- Lesch said the timing coincided perfectly with their study on raccoon domestication signs.
Shorter Snouts Signal Morphological Change
- Urban raccoons show shorter snouts than rural ones, a trait linked to domestication syndrome.
- Lesch noted shorter snouts are commonly seen among domesticated species alongside other morphological changes.
Neural Crest Links Behavior And Form
- The neural crest hypothesis links selection for tameness to multiple physical traits through embryonic development.
- Selection for tolerant behavior may alter neural crest cell migration and explain domestication syndrome features.