Ancient bones show dogs have been woven into human life for nearly 16,000 years
The Conversation • • world
Key Points:
- New research published in Nature reveals that dogs have been deeply integrated into human societies for at least 16,000 years, highlighting their unique role in human social and cultural life.
- Ancient DNA analysis confirmed the earliest known dog remains, dating back around 15,800 years from Pınarbaşı in central Turkey, showing dogs were treated with care and shared diets with humans.
- Genetic evidence indicates that dogs spread rapidly across Eurasia to western Europe, moving alongside human populations rather than being domesticated separately in Europe.
- The studies demonstrate that dogs accompanied early farming communities migrating from Turkey into Europe about 8,500 years ago, interbreeding with local European dogs but not replacing them entirely.
- These findings emphasize that dogs have been mobile, socially entwined companions to humans since the Ice Age, forging bonds that persist in modern human-dog relationships.
