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HOW DID DOGS BECOME DOMESTICATED?

A new study has found that dogs and humans have sustained loving relationships with each other for at least 14,000 years (file photo)

A new study has found that dogs and humans have sustained loving relationships with each other for at least 14,000 years (file photo)

A genetic analysis of the world's oldest known dog remains has revealed that dogs were domesticated 20,000 to 40,000 years ago in a single event by humans living in Eurasia.

Dr Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor in evolution at Stony Brook University, said: 'The process of dog domestication would have been a very complex process, involving a number of generations where signature dog traits evolved gradually.

'The current hypothesis is that the domestication of dogs likely arose passively, with a population of wolves somewhere in the world living on the outskirts of hunter-gatherer camps feeding off refuse created by the humans.

'Those wolves that were tamer and less aggressive would have been more successful at this, and while the humans did not initially gain any kind of benefit from this process, over time they would have developed some kind of symbiotic [mutually beneficial] relationship with these animals, eventually evolving into the dogs we see today.' 

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