Pies: Dogs are direct descendants of wolves

Evidence: 59 • authority: 72

The domestication of the dog was the process which resulted in the emergence of the domestic dog as a species (Canis familiaris). This included the dog's genetic divergence from the wolf, its domestication, and the emergence of the first dogs. Genetic studies suggest that all ancient and modern dogs share a common ancestry, descending from an ancient, now-extinct wolf population – or closely related wolf populations – which was distinct from the modern wolf lineage. The dog's similarity to the grey wolf is the result of substantial dog-into-wolf gene flow, with the modern grey wolf being the dog's nearest living relative. An extinct Late Pleistocene wolf may have been the ancestor of the do…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 72

Canidae (; from Latin, canis, "dog") is a biological family of caniform carnivorans, constituting a clade. A member of this family is a canid (, rarely ), colloquially referred to as dogs. The family includes three subfamilies: the Caninae, and the extinct Borophaginae and Hesperocyoninae. The Caninae are the canines, and include domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes, raccoon dogs, foxes, jackals, and other species. Canids are found on all continents except Antarctica, having arrived independently or accompanied by human beings over extended periods of time. Canids vary in size from the 2-metre-long (6.6 ft) gray wolf to the 24-centimetre-long (9.4 in) fennec fox. The body forms of canids are simi…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 88

Living with Wolves and Dogs. This chapter examines how many types of “dog,” including AKC (American Kennel Club) registered breeds, can be mistaken for wolves by people who have stereotypical ideas of what a wolf is, including some wolf biologists. It deconstructs the concept of “experts” who attempt to make such distinctions, including those who advise state and federal legislators. Moreover, the chapter explores relationships between humans and wolves—both domestic and nondomestic—as social companions by evaluating Raymond Pierotti's experiences as an expert witness distinguishing between dogs and wolves. This type of confused thinking has led to bad laws based upon emotional responses ra…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 88

Wolves, Archaeologists, and the Origin of Dogs. This chapter focuses on archaeological research and its role in explaining the transformation from wolf to dog, addressing why this topic is controversial: the tendency to identify wolf remains found in archaeological sites as evidence of either interlopers or human killing overshadows the alternate possibility of social bonding between humans and wolves. This probably has prevented appreciation of considerable early evidence of relationships between humans and wolves before the latter became sufficiently phenotypically distinct (“doglike”) to be recognized as domestic animals shaped by humans. Some archaeologists do not acknowledge the possib…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 88

Living Well with Wolves and Dogs. This chapter discusses the bonds and relationships that exist between humans and different types of canids. A crucial point is that the social bond between humans and wolves that changed into domestic dogs is the source of both major pleasures and major conflicts between humans and their canid companions. Large domestic dogs have the anatomy of serious predators combined with a confidence in their interactions with humans that can lead to aggression and grave conflict. In contrast, wolves and high-percentage crosses between wolves and dogs tend to be timid, retreating when faced with unfamiliar humans. The chapter then addresses the “danger” presented by va…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 92

Coyotes can do 'puppy dog eyes' too: comparing interspecific variation in <i>Canis</i> facial expression muscles.. Facial expressions are critical for non-verbal communication. The Canis genus epitomizes the interplay between behaviour and morphology in the evolution of non-verbal communication. Recent work suggests that the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM) muscle is unique to dogs ( Canis familiaris ) within the Canis genus and evolved due to domestication. The LAOM raises the inner eyebrows, resulting in the 'puppy dog eyes' expression. Here, we test whether the LAOM is a derived trait in dogs by (i) examining the facial expression muscles of a closely related and ancestra…

Evidence: 59 • authority: 92

A 120-y time series of genomes reveals the consequences of closed breeding in German Shepherd Dogs.. Many contemporary breed dogs display reduced genomic health compared to mixed-breed dogs, including reduced heterozygosity and increased genetic load, likely due to strong directed breeding. Lack of historical genomes, however, has made it difficult to disentangle the timing and drivers of these declines given complex and breed-specific demographic histories, artificial selection, and crossbreeding. Here, we sequenced genomes of nine 20th-century museum specimens (1906-1993) of pedigree German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) to directly assess the consequences of contemporary breeding practices on geno…

Evidence: 58 • authority: 80

Wolves, Archaeologists, and the Origin of Dogs

Evidence: — • authority: 38