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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
08:59
The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
Toward understanding dog evolutionary and domestication history
Francis Galibert1, Pascale Quignon, Christophe Hitte
1UMR 6061 CNRS, institut de génétique et développement de Rennes (IGDR), faculté de médecine, université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France. galibert@univ-rennes1.fr
Comptes Rendus Biologies
|March 8, 2011
Summary
Dog domestication began ~35,000 years ago, predating other animal and plant domestication. Genomic studies reveal its Middle Eastern origin and widespread expansion with human populations.
Area of Science:
- Paleogenetics
- Archaeology
- Canine Genetics
Background:
- Dog domestication initiated during the Upper Paleolithic (~35,000 BP), preceding all other known animal and plant domestications.
- This early phase, termed proto-domestication, contrasts with the later, more defined domestication process starting around 14,000 BC.
Observation:
- Genomic DNA analyses indicate that dog domestication originated in the Middle East.
- From its origin, the domestic dog rapidly disseminated across diverse human populations globally.
Findings:
- Modern dog populations exhibit hundreds of breeds, distinguished by unique phenotypes and extensive genetic polymorphism.
- Recent genetic research identifies specific signatures crucial for understanding breed evolution and the molecular impact of domestication.
Implications:
- These genetic signatures offer valuable insights into the historical trajectories of dog breeds.
- Understanding domestication's genetic impact provides a framework for studying human-animal co-evolution.
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