The discovery of the last ancestor of wolves and dogs, called the wolf of Taimyr and who lived in Siberia 35 thousand years ago, leads us to think that humans and dogs have known each other for much longer than previously thought.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Men e dogs: our bond with four-legged friends would go back to a period between 27 thousand and 40 thousand years ago, much more than previously believed. Indissoluble, therefore, is, to say the least, our friendship with Fido.
To prove it is the discovery of the last ancestor of wolves and dogs, called wolf of Taimyr and lived in Siberia 35 thousand years ago. Her remains were discovered in Northern Siberia by researchers from the American University of Harvard.
So far it has been thought that dogs differed from wolves only 16 years ago, but this study revealed that that common ancestor of wolves and dogs has a lot of genes in common with modern Siberian Huskies and Greenland sled dogs.
The results come from the analysis of a small piece of bone taken during an expedition to the Taimyr peninsula, in Siberia, and to understand its origin over time, the researchers used a new and sophisticated dating technique. radiocarbon. In this way, we became aware of what had been discovered: a 35-year-old bone of an ancient Taimyr wolf.
In short, while the DNA analysis established that the fossil remains belonged to a distant relative of a dog, radiocarbon dating made it possible to establish the time in which he lived. Et voilà, our closest furry friend has been around almost forever.
The DNA provides direct evidence that "the Siberian Husky is descended from a wolf that roamed northern Siberia 35.000 years ago", explains Pontus Skoglund, study coordinator. This wolf, he adds, lived only a few thousand years after Neanderthals disappeared from Europe and modern man began to expand into Europe and Asia. Consequently, it can be thought that dogs may have been domesticated much earlier than previously imagined ".
Wagering and waiting, cuddles and affectionate slinguazzamenti: the company of a dog is a real cure-all for everyone. And it really has been since the world began.
Germana Carillo
Photo: sciencedaily.com
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