Tracing the Origins of Dogs: A Historical Journey

Dogs were the first domesticated species, and the wolf is the likely ancestor of modern dogs. Pretty straightforward, right? Actually, the dogs’ story is anything but simple. Scientists are continuing to uncover the details of where, when, and how dogs became our best friend.

From Irish Wolfhounds to chihuahuas, all dogs belong to the same species Canis familiaris. The earliest fossil dogs that are clearly distinct from wolves were found in Germany and dated to around 15,000 years ago. However, genetic and other information indicates that domestication of dogs could have occurred as early as 40,000 years ago.

You might hear that the dog descended from the grey wolf. But genetic studies indicate that the picture is more complex. The last common ancestor of dogs is probably a wolf-like animal that is now extinct. In different regions of the world, dogs may have descended from different wolf populations.

Over the thousands of years that dogs have been coexisting with humans, they also bred with wild wolves and possibly other Canid species, like jackals and coyotes. The gene flow (or new genetic material from interbreeding between one population to another) from dogs to the grey wolf is significant. The grey wolf is thus the closest living cousin to dogs.

The consensus is out on exactly where dogs were first domesticated, but somewhere in Eurasia is likely (Western Europe, Central or East Asia). While the dog’s genetic pawprint is consistent across all breeds, three major ancestral lineages have been identified:

Western Eurasian lineage (European, Indian, and African dogs)
East Asian lineage (dingoes)
Arctic lineage (huskies and ancient American dogs).

Scientists are still uncovering important information about the ancestors of dogs, and many questions remain. Want more in depth information? Take a look at these references:

Perri AR et al. 2021. Dog domestication and the dual dispersal of people and dogs into the Americas. 2021. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Origin of the domestic dog. Wikipedia.