Meanwhile, their lupine cousins would live and hunt beyond the sphere of human influence – just as their ancestors did. In such a fashion, those first generations of dog paved the way for their pups to become man’s best friend. Hunters would have killed any dogs who were hostile to humans, while the friendly pups would have bred and flourished. Once humans and dogs had forged this symbiotic bond, it’s easy to grasp how the first breed of dog evolved. Humans and dogs: the bond that built the world On one side of the family would sit the grey wolf, and on the other, man’s best friend. At this point, evolution would have reached a fork in the road, with the wolf species splitting in two. Humans would start to willingly leave scraps for the wolves, who would track new prey and fend off other predators. Over time, this arrangement would have evolved for both parties. They would deter other predators from moving against the hunters, which would make their lives much easier. The humans, in turn, would have realised the presence of the wolves wasn’t such a bad thing.
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By doing so, they could pick at the carcass remnants left by the triumphant human hunters. Instead of warring with humans for a live mammoth, they could simply follow groups of mammoth-hunting humans. With humans forming groups to hunt mammoths and other large prey, some wolves discovered a simpler way to survive. “Trust me, buddy: I am no man’s best friend.”Įxperts suggest the turning point was triggered not by humans, but by wolves. In a nutshell, it was a far cry from the cozy bond we enjoy with pooches today. Humans, for our part, would have slaughtered these wolves to protect our food sources and ourselves. These wolves hunted many of the same prey as our forebears, and would have feasted on humans when hungry. What’s more, these wolves were no friends to the human race rather, they were competitors and, in some cases, enemies. Prior to that, the dog as we know it belonged to a now-extinct species of wolf. However, more recent research suggests pooches have lived among us for up to 40,000 years. When we first wrote about it, experts believed humans domesticated dogs between 18,000 and 32,000 years ago. If you’ve ever wondered how and why man’s best friend evolved from one breed into many, read on!īefore we look into how dogs became dogs, we must know how long they’ve lived and worked with humans. They’re the result of a bond that puts mosts human alliances to shame – and their numbers will only grow. The cornucopia of canine breeds we see today are the fruit of 10s of thousands of years of coexistence. Not only have dogs “trained” humans to care for them, humans have learned to highlight the best in each breed. In fact, the evolution of dogs is one of the greatest collaborations between humans and nature in the history. The Papillon sitting out the front of an Armadale cafe has come a long way from the first canines, and the reasons are more complex than many would think. However, our furry friends have changed a lot since the days in which our ancestors hunted mammoths to survive.
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In the past, we’ve written about where dogs came from, and how they first learned to live side-by-side with humans. In short, we wouldn’t be where we are if humans and dogs didn’t share a bond. They’ve helped us to source food, raise our children, fend off predators, navigate terrain, warn against sickness, and stay alive. For as long as humans have kept records, dogs have been our companions, sentries, hunting partners, and confidantes. Even so, it’s somehow synonymous with dogs of all shapes and sizes, and the role they play in our lives. “Man’s best friend.” It’s a phrase that excludes women and non-binary people, and spits in the face of cat lovers.