 "A dog is a man's best friend but since when? Scientists pinpoint the exact time & how it happened")
synopsis
A groundbreaking research suggests that the timeless bond between humans and dogs dates back thousands of years earlier than previously believed
A groundbreaking research suggests that the timeless bond between humans and dogs dates back thousands of years earlier than previously believed. A recent analysis of canine bones from archaeological sites in Alaska reveals evidence that humans and dogs cohabitated as far back as 10,000 BC.
The discovery was made at Swan Point, a site located about 70 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Researchers from the University of Arizona unearthed a 12,000-year-old lower leg bone belonging to a wolf-sized adult canine. This bone, dated to the waning years of the Ice Age, offers compelling evidence of the early connections between Indigenous Alaskans and their canine companions.
“We now have evidence that canids and people had close relationships earlier than we knew they did in the Americas,” stated François Lanoë, lead author and assistant research professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona.
The bone revealed traces of salmon proteins, indicating these ancient canines were fed fish caught by humans. This dietary clue points to domestication, as wild canines of that era primarily hunted land animals. “This is the smoking gun because they're not really going after salmon in the wild,” remarked Ben Potter, co-author and archaeologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The researchers also uncovered an 8,100-year-old canine jawbone at Hollembaek Hill, another site south of Delta Junction. These findings underscore the enduring presence of domesticated dogs in early human settlements across the Americas.
"People like me who are interested in the peopling of the Americas are very interested in knowing if those first Americans came with dogs," said Lanoë. "Until you find those animals in archaeological sites, we can speculate about it, but it’s hard to prove one way or another."
Both Lanoë and Potter cautioned that the canines from this period might still resemble tamed wolves rather than fully domesticated dogs. “Behaviorally, they seem to be like dogs, but genetically, they’re not related to anything we know,” Lanoë explained.
The research team collaborated closely with the Healy Lake Village Council, representing the Mendas Cha’ag people, to excavate Hollembaek Hill. Evelynn Combs, an archaeologist and Healy Lake local, contributed to the study through her work with the tribe’s cultural preservation office.
For Combs, the discovery resonates deeply with her own experiences growing up in the Tanana Valley with her dog, Rosebud. "I really like the idea that, in the record, however long ago, it is a repeatable cultural experience that I have this relationship and this level of love with my dog," she said.
Reflecting on the findings, Combs added, "I know that throughout history, these relationships have always been present. I really love that we can look at the record and see that thousands of years ago, we still had our companions."
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