The ancestry of dogs

The ancestry of dogs

The ancestry of dogs

Although it is difficult to give an exact date, most people believe that dogs were domesticated somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago. The earliest remains of a domesticated dog date back 14,000 years and a burial site 12,000 years old in Israel holds the body of an old man cradling a puppy in his hands.

There is a lot of disagreement about how and when it happened. Some scientists believe that humans adopted wolf pups and that the less aggressive ones fared better as they were better at begging for food. It is likely that if this was the case that very young wolf pups would have been reared alongside human babies as wolf pups over 21 days are very hard to rear.

Other research suggests that in fact the wolves domesticated themselves by feeding at human rubbish dumps. Those that were less likely to run away from humans and interacted more with the humans fared better. With future generations these dogs became tamer until eventually there would have been two distinct groups of hunting wolves and scavenging wolves that relied on the humans for their dog food.

Early domesticated dogs would have been used as a guard animal, for fur, as a beast of burden for pulling loads and even for food.

With time there have been a number of changes to the overall appearance including a reduction in size; changes in coat colouration and markings; a shorter jaw with smaller teeth; and a reduction in brain size with a corresponding reduction in alertness and sensory processing.

No one is really sure whether there was a single incidence of domestication or a number of times in different areas where perhaps wolves interbred with the dogs. Most studies however, point to either the Middle East or Asia as the location of domestication. In just a few thousand years the number of domesticated dogs has gone from a handful through to several hundred million whilst the population of the grey wolf has shrunk to just 2-400,000 with populations almost completely eradicated in western Europe.

As humans have developed, they have selected and bred dogs for specific traits. Dogs such as Border collies, German shepherds and corgis have been bred as hunting or herding dogs. Beagle, Bloodhound, Basset Hound were bred for their ability to track animals and Mastiff types that are large and stocky with thick skulls were traditionally used for war, protection, and guardian work. There is very little genetic difference between wolves and dogs even now.

Of course in recent years there has been the advent of the designer dog', dogs that serve no purpose other than as companion pets that follow their owners around and look cute in their dog beds!

POST COMMENT

The Dog Cancer Survival Guide Review - The Dog Cancer Survival Guide Bonus Record breaking dogs Natural and alternative therapies for dogs How to recognise and treat arthritis in dogs Suffer no more- five breeds of dog ideal for allergy sufferers How To Train Pet Dog - Dog Training Tips That Need To Be Followed Litter boxes, dog steps, dog beds: know what you should know Ferrets As Pets Pt. One Determining the best dog leads Here is the Way to Boom Your Pet Shop Biz and Construct a Loyal Clientele African Grey Parrots The Talking Affectionate Pet Making Your Puppy More Sociable The Importance Of Pet Memorials