Dogs and wolves aren’t as closely related as we think

Dogs and wolves may both be canine, but that doesn’t mean that they are close. A study published this week in PLOS Genetics finds that the world’s domestic dog breeds are all more genetically similar to each other than any one of them is to a wolf, and that the common ancestor between wolves and dogs died out more than 9,000 years ago.

It’s accepted fact that the furry four-legged friends that live among us today emerged at some point from wolves. Human domestication of dogs began around 32,000 to 18,000 years ago, possibly in Europe and as a result of wolves initially seeking out the carcasses that ancient human hunters were leaving behind.

But much change can befall a species in 18 or more millennia. As the dogs lived and bred within th

Dogs and wolves aren’t as closely related as we think

Well, it was believed that today dogs are descendants from today wolves, but appears that they actually claim the same ancestor and have separated into 2 different branches. I was not sure if this should be posted rather as topic in Origins and Creation as another example of theory of evolution.

I find fascinating discovery, more data about man's best friend.

reply to post by SuperFrog


Very cool. thanks.

F u. (flagged you).

reply to post by SuperFrog


Wow, how interesting.
I find them both to be beautiful and amazing creatures, and am always happy to learn something new about them.

Thanks for sharing. S&F

RR

reply to post by WeRpeons


Ha ha ha ha ha.....

What kind of dog is that?

Could be that dogs did not come from wolves,or they were crosses; this is a short about Dmitry Belyaev's work,amazing what can happen in a few generations.

www.youtube.com...

Coincidentally, today there has been four foxes yapping, calling and fighting in my and my nieghbor's gardens, think a new male was trying to take over.

SussexMike
Could be that dogs did not come from wolves,or they were crosses; this is a short about Dmitry Belyaev's work,amazing what can happen in a few generations.

www.youtube.com...

Coincidentally, today there has been four foxes yapping, calling and fighting in my and my nieghbor's gardens, think a new male was trying to take over.

Same thoughts here!

I am not the scientific genius I wish I was. But, I do know of dingos, foxes, coyotes, wolves, Tasmanian devils, and who knows what else.

My thoughts are perhaps Dogs as we know them always were dogs of some sort. Just another separate species that was very smart and malleable emotionally. Hybrid cross between a wolf/fox hybrid and a dingo/(?) hybrid.

Or perhaps a hybrid with some long extinct animal and a wolf/fox/coyote hybrid?

reply to post by SuperFrog


But wolves and dogs can breed with each other and produce offspring. So how much of a distance would there have to be before that was no longer possible? Or does that make them quite close again, like before this study. Maybe, since a dog lineage and a wolf lineage separated from a common ancestor such a long time ago still can mate and have puppies. Interesting finding.

reply to post by SuperFrog


Interesting, thanks for sharing! I wonder, though, did they test the genetics of ALL breeds of dogs? Because some clearly look more like wolves (Alaskan Malamute comes to mind) while others (Dachshund, Chihuahua, Poodle) ...not so much!

So I'd like to surmise that some breeds of dogs come from the wolf lineage, while others come from that other branch they're talking about. Whadayathink?

Aleister
reply to post by SuperFrog

 

But wolves and dogs can breed with each other and produce offspring. So how much of a distance would there have to be before that was no longer possible? Or does that make them quite close again, like before this study. Maybe, since a dog lineage and a wolf lineage separated from a common ancestor such a long time ago still can mate and have puppies. Interesting finding.

Wolves and dogs can produce offspring (I sad one between German Sheppard and wolf, it was scary for me as kid ), but those offspring are all infertile.

I believe that this best can be explained by them both having the same ancestor, but are really to separate branches, even if the look very alike.

The idea that domesticated dogs and wolves come from a common stock, but have diverged so greatly is not any form of surprise to me.

Just as much as you can have dogs as gentle and caring as English Bulldogs....and then you have Pit Bulls...which have such strong instincts that they have an amazing propensity for killing...

reply to post by SuperFrog


I'm sorry but wolf-dogs aren't all infertile.

Seriously, I call BS on this research. Dogs and wolves just can't be that far apart if they can still breed with each other.

theMediator
reply to post by SuperFrog

 

I'm sorry but wolf-dogs aren't all infertile.

Seriously, I call BS on this research. Dogs and wolves just can't be that far apart if they can still breed with each other.

Primates aren't that far apart and they can't reproduce between species. Gorilla/baboon hybrids? lol

And donkeys and horses make mules, which 99% of the time are sterile. But there are rare case exceptions.

It is rather confounding from a DNA and reproductive standpoint.

I'm wondering how they know we domesticated dogs 32,000 years ago when civilization and written language only began 6,000 years ago with the Sumerians.

riffraff
I'm wondering how they know we domesticated dogs 32,000 years ago when civilization and written language only began 6,000 years ago with the Sumerians.

Likely bones and encampment debris.

I wonder what type of wolves they tested?
There are wolves and wild canines all over the world. Eg dingos, african wild dogs, coyotes, jackals

reply to post by Aleister


Thanks. I hadn't thought of that. That's probably right

yes. 9000 yrs is such a staggering amount of time in the evolution of mamals ! it would have been much better for us if 9000 years ago canines went extinct. this fact cannot be debated. ask the good citizens of detroit. ask them what they fear more, wolves or dogs? wolves are very easy to eradicate. dogs are impossible.

dashen
I wonder what type of wolves they tested?
There are wolves and wild canines all over the world. Eg dingos, african wild dogs, coyotes, jackals

Here is link for study itself:

Genome Sequencing Highlights the Dynamic Early History of Dogs (PLOS Genetics)

It seems to me that they examined more then one kind of wolves and dogs.