The Big Search to Find Out Where Dogs Come From

NY Times ^ | January 18, 2016 | James Gorman

[C19fan]

Before humans milked cows, herded goats or raised hogs, before they invented agriculture, or written language, before they had permanent homes, and most certainly before they had cats, they had dogs.

Or dogs had them, depending on how you view the human-canine arrangement. But scientists are still debating exactly when and where the ancient bond originated. And a large new study being run out of the University of Oxford here, with collaborators around the world, may soon provide some answers.

[C19fan]

I listened to an author who wrote a book on this topic on the John Batchelor show.

[RoosterRedux]

I am pretty sure dogs appeared (as wolves) at the first cookout.

Since dogs are smarter than people, they quickly realized that if they made nice, they would get a nibble.

[PIF]

We know where cats come from ... this was revealed a few days ago by musicman when he (possibly now facing charges by the Powers) let the metaphorical cat out of the bag

[goldstategop]

Dogs and wolves are sister clades.

They both stem from a now extinct wolf-like canid common ancestor that lived about 50,000 years ago.

[Blue Collar Christian]

Silly people, a chicken somewhere laid and egg that turned out to be a dog.

[goldstategop]

Dogs and wolves are inter-fertile.

German Shepherds and Czech Vlcaks are true wolfdog hybrids and arctic sled dogs have some wolf ancestry.

[justlittleoleme]

Genesis 1:26 King James Version (KJV)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

.....

Man has always been in dominion over all other life on earth.

[boomop1]

I big who cares, I just love mine.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

"every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Liberals?

[blackdog]

As soon as the couch, bed, and enough food stocks for leftovers materialized, as so did the dog.

My dog lectures quite strongly on this time-line. She also attaches some defensive posturing over men with beards, uniforms of any sort, and the people who shove paper through a slot in out door every day.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

I cannot tell where dogs came from, but I can tell you they end up on the DNC debate stage.

[ken5050]

Question for the group....

Science has long shown that intelligence is directly related to brain size....see, chimps, apes.....or dolphins, whales...

So why then isn't a Great Dane 100X smarter than a chihuahua?

[poobear]

Good Dog!

[C19fan]

It is not the absolute size of the brain but the size relative to the overall mass of the animal.

[Pilgrim's Progress]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWidXPb1AH4

[SkyDancer]

From your neighbors.

[ken5050]

Some brain cells are needed to control muscle, and other involuntary actions..i.e. breathing...most of the brain cells are devoted to intelligence, memory, etc...

[trisham]

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[Faith65]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWHLdHroyQ

[vekzen]

What a boring, uninformative article. Well, it is the NYSlimes after all.

The enduring theme of these academics studying dogs is that dogs look to humans for food. Well, I’ve lost two beautiful Saint Bernard’s. These two dogs simply wanted to be with the people they loved — all the time. Amazingly loyal and loving creatures. Felt like they were the soul of the family.