Origins of Dogs: Evolved from Ancient European Wolves

[FAM Times reporter Jennylyn Gianan] After studying DNA from dogs dating back around 1,000 years, a University of California ecology and evolutionary biology research team found that domestic dogs gradually evolved from wolves raised by European hunters around 18,000 years ago.

Robert Wayne, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, is the senior author of the team's study published in a scientific journal.

Professor Wayne said, "Today's dogs appear to be directly related to ancient European wolves, rather than wolves living today."

He added, "The genetic record is consistent with the archaeological record. Europe is where the oldest dogs have been found."

The research team studied 10 ancient wolf-like animals and eight ancient dog-like animals from Europe.

DNA from all of these animals was more than 1,000 years old; most samples were several thousand years old, and two were reportedly more than 30,000 years old.

Biologists compared the ancient mitochondrial DNA with modern mitochondrial genes from 77 dogs, 49 wolves, and four coyotes.

The results showed that the DNA of present-day dogs did not match at all with that of wolves found elsewhere in the world or modern European wolves.

Instead, it was found to genetically match ancient European wolves or dogs.

The researchers therefore estimated that dogs were domesticated by humans between 18,000 and 32,000 years ago.

Meanwhile, the ancient wolves believed to have evolved into modern dogs became extinct long ago.

Jennylyn Gianan fam1@pcss.co.kr