How humans and dogs began their longstanding bond 12000 years ago

How humans and dogs began their longstanding bond 12000 years ago
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 06, 2024

The timeless connection between humans and dogs may have originated earlier than previously thought, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Arizona. This research reveals that Indigenous peoples in the Americas interacted closely with early dogs and wolves as far back as 12,000 years ago - approximately 2,000 years earlier than earlier evidence suggested.

"We now have evidence that canids and people had close relationships earlier than we knew they did in the Americas," said Francois Lanoe, the study's lead author and assistant research professor at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology.

Lanoe and colleagues made this discovery by analyzing a canine tibia excavated in 2018 at the Swan Point archaeological site in Alaska. Radiocarbon dating placed the bone's origin near the end of the Ice Age, about 12,000 years ago. Another find in 2023 - a canine jawbone from nearby Hollembaek Hill - dated to 8,100 years ago, also showed signs of human association.

Chemical analysis provided the key evidence of early domestication: traces of salmon protein in the canine bones. "This is the smoking gun because they're not really going after salmon in the wild," said study co-author Ben Potter from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The fish-based diet suggests these canines were reliant on humans, potentially as companions or working animals.

Although these specimens appear behaviorally similar to dogs, their genetic profiles suggest they might have been tamed wolves rather than fully domesticated dogs. "Behaviorally, they seem to be like dogs, as they ate salmon provided by people," Lanoe explained, "but genetically, they're not related to anything we know."

The study also reflects a strong partnership with Alaska's tribal communities. Researchers worked closely with the Healy Lake Village Council, which represents the Mendas Cha'ag people, to ensure the study's ethical integrity, including obtaining permission for genetic testing.

Healy Lake member Evelynn Combs, now an archaeologist, emphasized the cultural resonance of the findings. "It is little - but it is profound - to get the proper permission and to respect those who live on that land," she said. Reflecting on her childhood with her dog, Rosebud, Combs connected these modern relationships to ancient bonds. "Throughout history, these relationships have always been present. I really love that we can look at the record and see that thousands of years ago, we still had our companions."

The study, published in Science Advances, highlights a significant chapter in understanding the early ties between humans and canids in subarctic Alaska.

Research Report:Late Pleistocene onset of mutualistic human/canid (Canis spp.) relationships in subarctic Alaska