Paleolithic dogs first began to appear at the same time, developing shorter skulls and wider braincases and snouts compared to their wolf ancestors. This special relationship can be traced all the way back to when humans first started living in groups.Īn early domestication theory suggests that the symbiotic, mutualistic relationship between the two species started when humans moved into colder Eurasian regions. The bond between humans and dogs have been extensively studied due to its unique nature. Evidence for this can be found in the fact that modern dogs, unlike wolves, have genes that allow them to breakdown starch. Studies have also reported that the dog’s domestication was heavily influenced by the dawn of agriculture. Genetic studies have found that the mitochondrial genomes of all modern dogs are most closely related to the canids of Europe. This separate domestication of wolf groups supports the theory that there were 2 domestication incidents for dogs.ĭogs that stayed in East Eurasia may have been first tamed by Paleolithic humans in Southern China, while other dogs followed human tribes further west to European lands. More recent studies suggest humans may have first domesticated dogs some 6,400-14,000 years ago when an initial wolf population split into East and West Eurasian wolves, which were domesticated independently of each other and gave birth to 2 distinct dog populations before going extinct. ![]() What most scientists and canine geneticists agree on is that dogs were first tamed by hunter-gatherers between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago, which is such a wide timeframe that it’s hardly useful. There’s even more dispute about the timeline of the history of dogs and humans. But until we uncover more evidence, it will be difficult to know for sure exactly when dogs completely separated from their wolf ancestors. Overall, while the Bonn-Oberkassel dog is the first dog we can all agree was in fact a dog, it’s possible dogs are much older. ![]() In fact, a quantitative analysis of these canine fossils found that the dogs had skulls similar in shape to that of the Central Asian Shepherd Dog. These canines first appeared some 12,000 years ago and had different morphological and genetic features than the wolves found in Europe at the time. ![]() Hunting camps in Europe are also thought to be home to canines known as Paleolithic dogs. ![]() The progenitors of the dogs we know and love today may have first appeared in the regions of modern-day Nepal and Mongolia at a time when humans were still hunter-gatherers.Īdditional evidence suggests that around 15,000 years ago, early dogs moved out of Southern and Central Asia and dispersed around the world, following humans as they migrated. For example, many experts agree that dogs started to separate from wolves starting around 16,000 years before present in Southeastern Asia. However, there are other theories that suggest dogs may in fact be older. First mistakenly classified as a wolf, the Bonn-Oberkassel dog was buried with two humans around 14,220 years ago. The remains, a right mandible (jaw), were discovered during basalt quarrying in Oberkassel, Germany in 1914. Archaeological evidence and DNA analysis make the Bonn-Oberkassel dog the first undisputed example of a dog.
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