As far as we can tell, dogs evolved from their wolf ancestors about one hundred thousand years ago. They remained wild for over eighty five thousand years until they were domesticated by human beings fifteen thousand years ago. Dogs were the first animals that human beings thought could be useful in a symbiotic relationship and they were therefore the first animals to be domesticated by human populations.
Dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, specifically in what is now China. Dogs were then taken by the first people who traveled to North America. They probably used dog carriers for their transcontinental trip like we do now! As humans migrated around the planet, a variety of dog forms migrated with them. The agricultural revolution and subsequent urban revolution led to an increase in the dog population and a demand for specialization. This led to special breeding by people who wanted to bring out certain qualities in their dog partners. This partnership is alive and well till this day.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.