The modern dog comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and were once thought to have originated from differing genetic pools. However scientists today believe that the dramatic differences found in dogs is as a result of intensive breeding over the last 500 years by humanity!
Previously dogs were thought to have originated in the Middle East but now scientists believe their origin was from a handful of wolves tamed by humans in or around China less than 15,000 years ago. Their research suggests that all dogs today have a common genetic pool backtracking to only three females known as the so-called "Eves" of the dog world!
Dog Domestication Began In The Country That Banned Them!
Dogs (Canis Familiaris) were domesticated from their not-too-distant cousins the wolf (Canis Lupus) and until recently the origins of that domestication process was still in doubt. Scientists originally favored the Middle East as the birth place of the domestication of dogs on the premise that several other species of animal were first domesticated there. Another favorite region for the initiation of the domestication of the dog was the West, probably because of the abundance of the various dog breeds.
New research however almost conclusively rules out those regions despite the fact that the best archeological evidence puts the earliest dog domestication occurring in Irael and Germany.
Mapping the Origin of Dogs
The steps to tracing the origins of dog domestication were tentative and came in fits rather than a cascading torrent. One of the early clues was observed by a scientist who noted that a distinctive feature of the modern dog traced back to only one population of wolves; Chinese wolves! The particular feature in question was found in the dog's cheek bone.
Research conducted by Peter Savolainen of the Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm which analyzed dog DNA samples taken from canines from across the globe revealed that the greatest genetic variation was found in East Asia indicating that domestication of the dog most likely started there, specifically in China which is somewhat ironic seeing at some point in that country's history they banned dogs on the basis they were an affectation of the bourgeoisie!
Dogs
Dogs (Canis Familiaris) were domesticated from their not-too-distant cousins the wolf (Canis Lupus) and until recently the origins of that domestication process was still in doubt. Scientists originally favored the Middle East as the birth place of the domestication of dogs on the premise that several other species of animal were first domesticated there. Another favorite region for the initiation of the domestication of the dog was the West, probably because of the abundance of the various dog breeds.
New research however almost conclusively rules out those regions despite the fact that the best archeological evidence puts the earliest dog domestication occurring in Irael and Germany.
Mapping the Origin of Dogs
The steps to tracing the origins of dog domestication were tentative and came in fits rather than a cascading torrent. One of the early clues was observed by a scientist who noted that a distinctive feature of the modern dog traced back to only one population of wolves; Chinese wolves! The particular feature in question was found in the dog's cheek bone.
Research conducted by Peter Savolainen of the Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm which analyzed dog DNA samples taken from canines from across the globe revealed that the greatest genetic variation was found in East Asia indicating that domestication of the dog most likely started there, specifically in China which is somewhat ironic seeing at some point in that country's history they banned dogs on the basis they were an affectation of the bourgeoisie!
Dogs
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