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A 2017 Nature Communications study estimates that dogs evolved from wolves in a single location somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, according to the BBC.
There are, however, strong theories. One is that early humans somehow captured wolf pups, kept them as pets, and gradually domesticated them. This is regarded as quite a hubristic take.
To get all that fat, hunters had to kill more lean animals, such as deer and moose, than they could eat in their entirety. But the wolves were competing for the same prey…
One theory suggests that domestication began as a result of wolves being attracted to hunter-gatherer camps to scavenge for leftovers. The excess of food, however, could also suggest a different version.
Instead of scavenging, studies suggest that Ice Age hunters plausibly gave the excess meat to wolves, according to archaeologist Maria Lahtinen of the Finnish Food Authority.
In the harsh winter climate, our hunter-gatherer ancestors were faced with plant scarcity and only lean prey. Because too much lean meat can cause protein poisoning (human livers aren’t well-adapted to metabolizing protein), they needed 55% of their calories from animal fat and grease, Business Insider reports.
This unexpectedly positive partnership between competing species is what is believed to have formed the basis for one of the world’s most fascinating cross-species companionships.
Those wolves that were tamer and less aggressive would have had better luck getting an easy free meal from the humans, and thus they were more likely to survive and reproduce.
The wolves might have helped transport items faster, and there’s evidence of humans using them as emergency sources of food and fur. Yikes!
Not only because wolves are incredibly strong, but also because dogs, even in the early stages of the species, tended to have a hypersocial nature that made them a great match for humans.
As the “survival of the friendliest” took shape, physical changes started to appear in the evolving dogs, including splotchy coats, curly tails, and floppy ears—in a process known as “self-domestication.”
By studying the lineage of American dogs, Perri’s team could trace them back to ancient Siberian dogs. The genetic data indicates that dogs accompanied humans when they were migrating from East Asia to the Americas.
Evolutionary biologist Bridgette von Holdt told Smithsonian magazine that dogs have a variation to a genomic region which wolves don’t—and that similar variation in human DNA causes Williams-Beuren syndrome, a condition characterized by exceptionally trusting and friendly behaviors.
Particularly in the Victorian era, dogs were bred for their skills as hunters, herders, or gundogs.
By 7,000 years ago, dogs had spread far and wide, though they still weren’t the kind we would consider pets. According to the lead doctor of the Nature Communications study, those dogs would resemble “village dogs,” which are free-breeding and don’t live in people’s houses.
Over continued bonding with humans and learning to work by our rules, studies suggest dogs have actually become worse at working together as a species. The old wolf pack mentality is severely reduced even in wild dogs.
In studies where wolves and dogs are given impossible problems to solve, wolves tend to use trial and error tactics, while dogs, at the first sight of difficulty, seek their human companion for help.
According to a 2021 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, dogs were likely domesticated over 23,000 years ago in Siberia, CNN reports.
That leads scientists to believe that at least the 7,000-year-old (if not older) dog from Europe is an ancestor to most modern breeds throughout the world. They just have different furs and colors and look much cuter.
Because dogs’ cognitive evolution was largely formed while developing a close cooperative relationship with humans, dogs are often used to study what is unique about human cues and social learning.
A 2015 study found that when a dog looks into your eyes, it is actually bonding with you in the very same way that babies bond with their human mothers.
Actually the thought of treating dogs as food or fur is largely taboo! Instead, modern dogs have been trained to help with things like mental health, security, disabilities, rescue missions, and more.
During that eye contact, both human and dog brains secrete oxytocin, a hormone linked to maternal bonding and trust. Other mammal relationships, including maternal or between mates, also have oxytocin bonding, but the human/dog bond is the only case ever observed between two different species.
We’ve already launched a dog into space, so it’s safe to say that wherever humans go next, dogs are going too.
Sources: (CNN) (BBC) (Smithsonian) (Business Insider)
See also: The most famous dogs in history
Brian Hare, director of the Duke University Canine Cognition Center, explained that self-domestication happens when the friendliest animals of a species somehow gain an advantage, the Smithsonian reports. Friendliness can drive physical changes in a species within a few generations!
Archaeologist Angela Perri analyzed the genetic makeup of ancient dog remains dating back to 23,000 years ago and tied it to the archaeological evidence that shows that humans migrated over 15,000 years ago from Northeast Asia across the Bering Land Bridge, a piece of land that once connected modern-day Russia to Alaska.
A newer theory is that the freezing climatic conditions during the time, the last Ice Age, likely brought wolves and humans closer together for survival through some lucky coincidences.
Many people don't think twice about having a dog in the home, and indeed it has been the norm for longer than any of us can remember. But have you ever wondered how those living animals in our most intimate of spaces evolved from wild predator to cuddly playmate?
Dogs are worshipped in society, and the billion-dollar pet industry is proof of that. But dogs as we know them weren’t always dogs, and they weren’t always our best friends. So why the affinity with this species in particular?
Various theories exist surrounding how canines became domesticated, and though there is still an air of mystery around it, new research (as recent as 2021) continues to form our understanding of the origin of our beloved companions. Click through to see the fascinating transformation of the human species' one true furry friend.
The origin of the dog is so fascinating because wolves were large, wild carnivores who were in competition with the human species since both subsisted on the same prey, such as caribou, rabbits, and deer. And humans have a tendency to try to eliminate other competitors...
How dogs became man’s best friend
April is Dog Appreciation Month
LIFESTYLE History
Many people don't think twice about having a dog in the home, and indeed it has been the norm for longer than any of us can remember. But have you ever wondered how those living animals in our most intimate of spaces evolved from wild predator to cuddly playmate?
Dogs are worshipped in society, and the billion-dollar pet industry is proof of that. But dogs as we know them weren’t always dogs, and they weren’t always our best friends. So why the affinity with this species in particular?
Various theories exist surrounding how canines became domesticated, and though there is still an air of mystery around it, new research (as recent as 2021) continues to form our understanding of the origin of our beloved companions. Click through to see the fascinating transformation of the human species' one true furry friend.