That’s a rather keen observation I’ve never thought about before.
Thanks!
That’s a rather keen observation I’ve never thought about before.
Round about 100,000 years ago humans expanded into Asia, reached the edge of the Siberian steppes, then stopped.
Parties of adults could hunt on the steppes, but human communities could not settle on the steppes. Because of the hyenas. Any attempted human settlement would attract hyenas, who'd skulk around the edges grabbing children.
Then came the dogs. We didn't domesticate them, they domesticated themselves, finding that foraging our middens was a good living.
They weren't really tame, at first, but the were no threat to our children, and they filled the ecological niche, keeping out the hyenas and other scavengers.
And together we settled the steppes.
Ever since, every human community was surrounded by a protective cloud of half-wild dogs.
After dogs were domesticated we'd have boys and dogs, exploring and hunting together, anyplace within a day's walk. Even up to modern times.
Even when I was a kid there wasn't a spot of woods around that didn't have a 10-year-old with his dog and his .22 poking around.
Then we started leashing our dogs, and leashing our 10-year-olds...