Actually, they have good evidence showing that domestic dogs appeared at least 36k years ago – I found a different piece that reported evidence in northern Europe 40k years ago, but that was probably a Science News abstract. Here’s the Science Daily piece:
I think it’s arrogant and unrealistic to suppose that humans ‘did something’ to animals to domesticate them. I think that ultimately it’s going to work out that humans and the animals we call ‘domestic’ actually evolved together. A kind of symbiosis. Our domestic animals have gained as much from us as we have from them, and parallel development makes much more sense to me. I expect that there is more and older evidence for domestic animals in the Mid East. Their established breeds are even older than ours.
My dog sleeps on my bed more than I do! When I get out of the shower to get dressed for work he’s passed out in the warm spot with his head on my pillow! It’s a dogs life!
edclectic over 10 years ago
15,000 years of natural canine instinct.
jazzmoose over 10 years ago
Cats should be domesticated any day now.
Hawthorne over 10 years ago
Actually, they have good evidence showing that domestic dogs appeared at least 36k years ago – I found a different piece that reported evidence in northern Europe 40k years ago, but that was probably a Science News abstract. Here’s the Science Daily piece:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306221139.htm
I think it’s arrogant and unrealistic to suppose that humans ‘did something’ to animals to domesticate them. I think that ultimately it’s going to work out that humans and the animals we call ‘domestic’ actually evolved together. A kind of symbiosis. Our domestic animals have gained as much from us as we have from them, and parallel development makes much more sense to me. I expect that there is more and older evidence for domestic animals in the Mid East. Their established breeds are even older than ours.
YMMV, of course.
lookwhatbobfound over 10 years ago
hawthorne, “over 15,000 years ago” WOULD coincide with “at least 36,000 years ago”! when would >15,000 not include >36,000??
amethyst52 Premium Member over 10 years ago
My dog sleeps on my bed more than I do! When I get out of the shower to get dressed for work he’s passed out in the warm spot with his head on my pillow! It’s a dogs life!
route66paul over 10 years ago
What happened was the first dog to bring back a bone after the cave man threw it out was the first domestic dog.