The history of dog domestication reveals a surprising range of shapes and sizes, far more diverse than modern breeds. According to a recent study of 643 canine skulls from dogs and wolves, the earliest dogs were already exhibiting a wide range of physical characteristics around 50,000 years ago.
These ancient canines were remarkably similar in size and shape to their wolf ancestors, but as time went on, they began to diverge due to changes in lifestyle and diet. Early Holocene dog skulls show more variety than previously thought, with sizes decreasing initially and later increasing.
One reason for this shift may be that domesticated dogs faced different pressures from wolves, which led to selective breeding for traits like docility and smaller size. However, as humans and dogs spent more time together, new physical characteristics emerged, shaping the diversity of modern breeds.
Despite their varied appearances today, early Holocene dog skulls share a surprising commonality - they're all remarkably similar to one another in terms of overall skull shape. This suggests that while individual dogs may have looked quite different, their ancestors retained certain shared features through generations of domestication.
The emergence of these distinct traits raises questions about the impact of human-dog relationships on canine evolution and how we can interpret our understanding of dog history from archaeological remains alone.
These ancient canines were remarkably similar in size and shape to their wolf ancestors, but as time went on, they began to diverge due to changes in lifestyle and diet. Early Holocene dog skulls show more variety than previously thought, with sizes decreasing initially and later increasing.
One reason for this shift may be that domesticated dogs faced different pressures from wolves, which led to selective breeding for traits like docility and smaller size. However, as humans and dogs spent more time together, new physical characteristics emerged, shaping the diversity of modern breeds.
Despite their varied appearances today, early Holocene dog skulls share a surprising commonality - they're all remarkably similar to one another in terms of overall skull shape. This suggests that while individual dogs may have looked quite different, their ancestors retained certain shared features through generations of domestication.
The emergence of these distinct traits raises questions about the impact of human-dog relationships on canine evolution and how we can interpret our understanding of dog history from archaeological remains alone.
! It's crazy to think that 50,000 years ago dogs were already being bred for different traits like docility and smaller size. I mean, we always knew humans had been messing with their genes, but it's wild to see just how much variation there was back then.
. I mean, I've got a pup at home and they're like 20 lbs of adorable fluff... but apparently ancient dogs were way more wolf-like 
. It's also kinda sad that our modern breeds are all about being mini or giant because of human preferences 
. Anyway, I'm dying to know more about how humans influenced these changes - did we just accidentally shape the dog world into what it is today? 
. The fact that early Holocene skulls show more variety than we thought is wild, especially with sizes decreasing initially and then increasing. It's like humans played a big role in shaping their physical characteristics over time. I'm intrigued by how selective breeding for traits like docility and smaller size might have influenced their evolution 
. Maybe domestication had something to do with wolves leading the pack and humans selecting for traits like docility? 
. It's like, our understanding of dog history is actually a bit limited by just looking at archaeological remains... food for thought! 
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And now we're thinking that maybe humans helped shape those traits through selective breeding and stuff. That makes me wonder if our relationships with dogs are really as simple as just feeding them and playing with them... I mean, did we actually influence their evolution in a big way? 
It's wild to think that 50,000 yrs ago they were already looking pretty different from wolves... but in a good way? I mean, who knew early Holocene dogs could be so varied? Like, some of these skulls are literally tiny compared to modern breeds. That shift towards smaller size makes total sense though - maybe it was all about adapting to human lifestyles.