Nature & Environment
Ancient Dogs Migrated to the Americas Far Later Than Expected
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jan 08, 2015 07:52 AM EST
Our ancient ancestors first domesticated dogs thousands of years ago. Now, researchers are taking a closer look at the history of our canine companions, and have found that dogs may have first successfully migrated to the Americans only about 10,000 years ago, which is thousands of years after the first human migrants crossed a land bridge from Siberia to North America.
Unlike their wild wolf cousins, ancient dogs learned to tolerate human company and benefitted from the association. They gained access to new food sources, enjoyed the safety of human encampments and were able to travel and spread with humans. Dogs, in turn, became beasts of burden and sometimes were served as food.
"Dogs are one of the earliest organisms to have migrated with humans to every continent, and I think that says a lot about the relationship dogs have had with humans," said Kelsey Witt, one of the researchers, in a news release. "They can be a powerful tool when you're looking at how human populations have moved around over time."
In order to better understand the spread of dogs, the scientists examined the genetic characteristics of 84 individual dogs from more than a dozen sites in North and South America. Since human remains aren't always available for study, analysis of dog remains can tell researchers a lot about certain sites.
In the end, the researchers found never-before-seen genetic signatures in the new dog samples. This suggested greater ancient dog diversity in the Americas than previously thought. They also found unusually low genetic diversity in some of the dog populations, which suggested that humans in those regions may have bred dogs. Yet the most interesting finding had to do with the dogs' arrival in the Americas.
"Dog genetic diversity in the Americas may date back to only about 10,000 years ago," said Witt.
The findings reveal a bit more about ancient dogs in the Americas. Currently, the scientists are planning more studies to test the genetic diversity of indigenous dogs in America.
The findings are published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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First Posted: Jan 08, 2015 07:52 AM EST
Our ancient ancestors first domesticated dogs thousands of years ago. Now, researchers are taking a closer look at the history of our canine companions, and have found that dogs may have first successfully migrated to the Americans only about 10,000 years ago, which is thousands of years after the first human migrants crossed a land bridge from Siberia to North America.
Unlike their wild wolf cousins, ancient dogs learned to tolerate human company and benefitted from the association. They gained access to new food sources, enjoyed the safety of human encampments and were able to travel and spread with humans. Dogs, in turn, became beasts of burden and sometimes were served as food.
"Dogs are one of the earliest organisms to have migrated with humans to every continent, and I think that says a lot about the relationship dogs have had with humans," said Kelsey Witt, one of the researchers, in a news release. "They can be a powerful tool when you're looking at how human populations have moved around over time."
In order to better understand the spread of dogs, the scientists examined the genetic characteristics of 84 individual dogs from more than a dozen sites in North and South America. Since human remains aren't always available for study, analysis of dog remains can tell researchers a lot about certain sites.
In the end, the researchers found never-before-seen genetic signatures in the new dog samples. This suggested greater ancient dog diversity in the Americas than previously thought. They also found unusually low genetic diversity in some of the dog populations, which suggested that humans in those regions may have bred dogs. Yet the most interesting finding had to do with the dogs' arrival in the Americas.
"Dog genetic diversity in the Americas may date back to only about 10,000 years ago," said Witt.
The findings reveal a bit more about ancient dogs in the Americas. Currently, the scientists are planning more studies to test the genetic diversity of indigenous dogs in America.
The findings are published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone