Alessandra Alterisio

Dr. Alessandra Alterisio

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

11Years (2016-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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23 August 2018 in Animals
Verified
Journal Article
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ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
Anna Di CosmoAnna Di Cosmo
Anna Di Cosmo
Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello
In this paper, we review the scientific reports of sex-related differences in dogs as compared to the outcomes described for wild animals. Our aim was to explore whether the differences in male and female dogs were affected by the domestication process, in which artificial selection is the main driver. For this purpose, we used information regarding personality traits, cognitive processes, and perception, for which there is a wide theoretical framework in behavioral ecology. Aggressiveness and boldness, described as a behavioral syndrome, were reported as being higher in males than females. Females also seemed more inclined to interspecific social interactions with humans in tasks that require cooperative skills, whereas males appeared more inclined to social play, thus implying different levels of social engagement between the sexes, depending on the context. Studies on cognitive processes underlined a greater flexibility in resorting to a particular navigation strategy in males. Most lateralization studies seem to support the view that males are preferentially left-handed and females are preferentially right-handed. Reports on visual focusing coherently rank females as superior in focusing on single social and physical stimuli. Only male dogs are able to discriminate kin; however, the timing of the olfactory recording in sexes is related to the stimulus relevance. Dogs are largely in line with life-history theories, which indicate that sex differences in dogs are mainly rooted in their biological and evolutionary heritage, remaining unchanged despite artificial selection. In contrast, the higher intraspecific sociability in wild male animals was not replicated in dogs.

15 May 2017 in Animal Cognition
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Journal Article
Closed access
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Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
EPEmanuele Petremolo
Emanuele Petremolo
MIMaria Rosaria Iommelli
Maria Rosaria Iommelli
MAMassimo Aria
Massimo Aria

23 June 2016 in Animal Cognition
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
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Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello
ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
PVPaola Maria Valsecchi
Paola Maria Valsecchi
EPEmanuela Prato-Previde
Emanuela Prato-Previde

1 June 2017 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
LMLieta Marinelli
Lieta Marinelli
PMPaolo Mongillo
Paolo Mongillo
GSGün Refik Semin
Gün Refik Semin
Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello

1 January 2016 in Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello

13 November 2017 in Animal Cognition
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
ASAnna Scandurra
Anna Scandurra
AAAlessandra Alterisio
Alessandra Alterisio
MAMassimo Aria
Massimo Aria
RVRosaria Vernese
Rosaria Vernese
Biagio D'AnielloBiagio D'Aniello
Biagio D'Aniello