Dogs Are Best and Oldest Friends of Humans, DNA Shows

According to a recent research study conducted on the genetics and DNA of dogs, they have been the oldest, best friends of humans throughout the animal kingdom. The detailed study also suggests that the domestication of dogs could be traced back to eleven thousand years, which is to the end period of the Ice age. The evidence confirms that dogs were the first animal to be domesticated and became friends of humans before any other animal species.

Research study on dog ancestry

At the end stage of the last ice age, dogs were commonly spread across the massive northern hemisphere and had at least five different breeds among them. Although there was an expansion observed during the colonial era of the European canines, there are still several traces found across America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania regarding the ancient dog breeds. The research study also provides relevant information that helps in fillings the gaps left in the natural history of the oldest friends of humans.

The team head of the Ancient Genomics Laboratory and co-author of the research study Dr. Pontus Skoglund stated that these canine-human companions are unique creatures. When even the human race was mostly hunters and gatherers, the dogs became friends of humans, and allowed to be domesticated by them, although they themselves were wild animals back then. The study also tried to find the connection is to why and how the dogs allowed the human being to befriend them.

The DNA and genetic findings of the dog species suggest that their genetic pattern somehow mirror the genetic coding of human beings, and also people gathered and traveled with their animals whenever they moved from one place to another, causing dogs to develop a sense of companionship and became friends of humans.

Genetic mixup of dogs information of multiple species

Although there are several similarities between genetic patterns of dogs and humans, multiple dissimilarities are also observed in these oldest and distinct friends of humans. For example, during the early European period, dogs had become very diverse creatures, but initially derived from two different canine species, out of which one is related to the Siberian dogs while the other one is for Near Eastern dogs.

After the Bronze Age period onset, only one single ancestor of dogs was able to spread widely in the region and were able to replace all other dog species across the continent. This pattern of behavior played no counterpart in the human genetic pattern located in Europe.

As stated by the lead author of the research study Mr. Bergstrom, if we observe the history dated back four to five thousand years, the European continent was the region that was vastly packed with the canine friends of humans. Although the diverse dog species observed during this modern time and age has become extremely diversified, which was originally originated from only a small and narrow diverse set of dog species that used to exist at the time.

An international group of researchers and scientist were able to completely analyze the entire genomic structure of 27 species of ancient dogs are still in association with the variety of archeological civilizations and heritage. The end result was then compared with the modern age dogs, that have been domesticated and have become loyal and friends of humans.

The conclusive result of the study suggests that dog breeds like a Rhodesian Ridgeback located in the South African region and Chihuahua, located in Mexico have been able to retain trace amounts of genetic material inside their body cells, which are closely associated with the ancient indigenous canines from the same region. When compared to the dogs found in the Eastern Asian region, the history of dogs and them being friends of human beings is complex.

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