Bond between dogs and humans dates back more than 15,000 years, study finds
Why it matters: This rewrites the timeline of human-dog partnership, revealing a deeper, more ancient connection.
- Dr. Lachie Scarsbrook (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) highlights that by 15,000 years ago, dogs with diverse ancestries were widespread across Eurasia, suggesting domestication occurred during the last ice age, predating other domestic plants or animals by over 10,000 years.
- Dr. Anders Bergström (University of East Anglia) notes that advanced DNA sequencing techniques were crucial for confidently distinguishing between dog and wolf remains, overcoming previous challenges where morphological analysis was unreliable.
- The studies found that modern European dog breeds share significant ancestry with ancient hunter-gatherer dogs, which likely resembled small wolves with shorter muzzles and less powerful jaws, not modern chihuahuas.
Groundbreaking ancient DNA analysis reveals the enduring bond between dogs and humans dates back over 15,000 years, pushing back the oldest genetic evidence for domestic dogs by 5,000 years. This research, published by two international teams in Nature, confirms that hunter-gatherers were interacting with dogs long before agriculture, with specimens found across Eurasia from Turkey to the UK.
