# Key Points from IRC Discussion on Domestication, Neuroscience, and Robotics

• Research on rat domestication at the Max Planck Institute was discussed, highlighting 64+ generations of selective breeding for tameness and aggressiveness to study the genetic basis of domestication without explicit mutagenesis.

• A bioRxiv paper identified specific genetic loci (Gltscr2, Lgi4, Zfp40, and Slc17a7) that likely contribute to behavioral differences between tame and aggressive rat strains, suggesting these rats would be excellent candidates for comparative neuroscience studies.

• Kanzure noted that animal domestication historically occurred primarily through selection of existing allele frequencies rather than new mutations, with only about 500 plant species domesticated out of 250,000 angiosperm species.

• Participants debated cryopreservation of endangered species, discussing the relative merits of preserving whole specimens (which would retain both genetic and potentially cultural/behavioral information) versus just preserving eggs and sperm.

• Advanced brain imaging techniques were referenced, including the ATLUM microscope's capability to scan mouse cortex at 3x3x20nm voxel resolution, allowing visualization of the smallest synaptic details.

• Archels announced an upcoming journal club on November 13th with Randal Koene focused on whole brain emulation, with Kanzure referencing the brain emulation roadmap report, specifically page 33's timeline of neurotransmitter discoveries.

• The concept of "paleoneurology" was discussed as the study of brain evolution through analysis of brain endocasts, with speculation that recovering neural information from preserved ancient specimens could answer many questions about prehistory.