Dogs were ‘loyal companions to Ice Age hunters’ far earlier than believed, study finds

This post was originally published on this site.

A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that man’s best friend lived alongside humansfar earlierthan previously believed.

The study was detailed in a University College London (UCL) press release on March 26.

The findings centered around ancient DNA found at archaeological sites in theUnited Kingdomand Turkey, including Gough’s Cave in Somerset, England.

FIRST OF ITS KIND WAGON EVIDENCE UNCOVERED IN MASSIVE IRON AGE TREASURE TROVE

Researchers were initially unsure if the skeletons weredogs or wolves— as they would have been “indistinguishable,” the release said.

The team sequenced DNA from the ancient remains and compared it with more than 1,000 dogs and wolves worldwide — confirming the animals were early domestic dogs.

Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from sites in the United Kingdom and Turkey to confirm the existence of early domesticated dogs.(University College London)

The DNA dates to the Late Upper Palaeolithic period, and is between 14,000 and 16,000 years old.

Previous studies showed that ancient dogs lived alongside humans 10,000 years ago — but the new findings push the timeline back 5,000 years.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Researchers from UCL played a critical role by identifying that skeletal remains excavated from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Gough’s Cave in Somerset belonged todomesticated dogsrather than wolves,” the release said.

“Similar tests found that remains at Pınarbaşı and Boncuklu in Turkey were also from dogs dating to the Upper Palaeolithic period.”

Remains uncovered at Gough’s Cave, shown here, were once thought to belong to wolves, researchers said.That has now been shattered. (iStock)

Researchers also gleaned insight into what modern breeds the dogs were similar to, the release noted.

“They were more closely related to the ancestors of present-day European and Middle Eastern breeds, such as boxers and salukis, than to Arctic breeds like Siberian huskies.”

Ancient DNA reveals dogs in the study were closer to saluki lineages, pictured above, than northern breeds.(iStock)

“Notably, some bones showdeliberate human modification, including perforations in mandibles, suggesting these dogs held symbolic significance after death as well as companionship during life,” he said.

The identification of the Paleolithic dogs “represents a step-change in our understanding of the earliest dogs,” said William Marsh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Natural History Museum.He was part of the study.

The discovery indicates major dog genetic lineages were established during the Upper Palaeolithic period.(Bettmann via Getty Images)

Researchers believe the dogs acted as hunting partners, companions and guard animals.

UCL Professor Louise Martin, a member of the international research team, noted that the dogs were “given burials, with some at Boncuklu buried alongside humans.”

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

She added, “It highlights the special close relationship between people and dogs even at these early stages.”