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apNOV 2023
Study: Dog Breeds Emerged 11K Years Ago
Above: A dog at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Petra, Jordan on Jan. 30, 2023. Image copyright: Dominika Zarzycka/LightRocket/Getty Image
The Spin
Narrative A
Dog breeds developed their distinct characteristics through rapid natural evolution 11,000 years ago, not through human manipulation. Scientific analysis of ancient skulls shows that dogs naturally diversified into hunting, guarding and herding roles without the use of selective breeding programs. This morphological transformation occurred organically as dogs adapted to different environments and served different functions in early human societies.
Narrative B
While the study finds notable skull diversity among early dogs, human intervention drove dog breed diversity from the very beginning of domestication over time. Environmental pressures and human needs for specific traits, such as hunting and guarding, shaped early dog evolution through selective processes. The remarkable variation found 11,000 years ago resulted from humans actively choosing dogs with desired characteristics for different roles.