Newer say newer

The lack of earlier archaeological finds of the ancestors of modern dogs may be due to the lack of burial sites, explains Dr. Paul Tacon, chief scientist at the Australian Museum of Fossils and Minerals. The first burials arose after the ancient people began to form camps and settlements, before that people led a nomadic lifestyle[42].
It follows from archaeological finds that ancient dogs varied in size. The remains of Paleolithic dogs 45-60 cm high were found in the Middle East, in Iraq, Israel (Khayonim [en] [43]), Syria, large dogs (over 60 cm) were found in Germany (Kniegrotte), in Russia (Eliseevichi 1 site [44][45]), Ukraine (Mezine), small, less than 45 cm, in Switzerland (Hauterive-Champreveyres in Hauterive[en]), in France (Saint-Thibault-de-Cuz[en], Pont d'Ambon in Bourdey), Spain (Erralla in Seston) and Germany (Oberkassel[en], Devil's Bridge in Obernitz[de] and Jolknitz[de])[41].
Study of tooth wear in canids aged 28.5 thousand years. n. from Předmost showed that they belonged to two different types - wolf-like dogs and proto-dogs, which had a different diet. The proto-dog diet had more bones, which they picked up from the borders of a human settlement, while the diet of wolf-like dogs had more meat.

Fossils of prehistoric dogs have been found in human caves around the world.
Previously, on the basis of archaeological finds, scientists most often named the dates of domestication of dogs 13-15 thousand years BC. [35]
Now a number of researchers believe that the dog was tamed at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic by representatives of the Aurignacian culture.
Thus, paleontologists of the Royal Museum of Natural History[fr] of Belgium, headed by Mietje Germonpré, indicate the date 31.7-36.5 thousand years BC. e. These conclusions are made on the basis of the latest finds, the remains of a prehistoric dog in the Goyet cave. It is noteworthy that the structure of the skull of prehistoric dogs differs significantly from that of prehistoric wolves.
Fossils were also found near the Altai Mountains in Siberia[36], the age of a domestic dog from the Altai cave Razboynichya, found back in 1975 by N.D. Ovodov, was estimated at 33.5-34 thousand years[37][38][ 39].
In the Czech Republic (Předmost), the age of the remains dates back to 24-27 thousand years BC. e.[40], Ukraine - 15 thousand years BC. e., in America, Utah - 11 thousand years BC. e., China - 7-5.8 thousand years BC. e.[

In October 2015, a group of American scientists published the results of their work: the homeland of dogs in Central Asia is the territory from Nepal to Mongolia[28][29]. In December 2015, a group of Swedish geneticist Peter Savolainen conducted a genome-wide analysis of 46 dogs and 12 wolves from around the world and concluded that the separation of dogs into an independent subspecies of wolves occurred about 33 thousand years ago in southern East Asia[30][31].
An analysis of the complete genomes of 27 ancient dogs showed that 10.9 thousand years. n. (the age of the Arkhangelsk dog from the Mesolithic Veretyo 1 site on the Kinema River) in Europe, the Middle East and Siberia, there were at least five main genetic lines of domestic dogs that were different from each other[32][33]. A study of the mitochondrial DNA of the oldest domestic dog in America (from Alaska) aged 10.15 thousand years. n. showed that the line of her ancestors separated from the line of other dogs 16.7 thousand years old. n. The fact that this dog ate fish and seal and whale scraps suggests that the first migration of dogs and humans to the Americas followed the Pacific Northwest Coastal Route rather than the Central Continental Corridor.

A 2013 genetic analysis of 18 mitochondrial genomes of ancient canids from the Old and New Worlds from 1,000 to 36,000 years ago by Olaf Thalmann's group (University of Turku) showed that modern domestic dogs most likely originated in Europe, not the Middle East. or East Asia. The estimated date of domestication of the dog varies from 18.8 to 32.1 thousand years ago. Researchers believe that older representatives of domestic dogs (such as dogs from the Razbonichya and Goye caves) may represent "samples" of single, earlier episodes of wolf domestication

A 2007 study based on molecular genetic methods by Robert K. Wayne[en] and his colleagues at the University of California on DNA variability showed that the separation of a common ancestor of dogs from wolves occurred during evolution about 135 thousand years ago[22].
In 2009, Swedish biologist Peter Savolainen[en] and colleagues at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, after analyzing the Y-DNA of dogs of different breeds from different continents, believe that the domestication process took place in China south of the Yangtze River and Southeast Asia , about 16,300 years ago[23][24]. American biologist Robert Wayne believes that this happened at least 40 thousand years ago

But at the same time, no correlation was found between the mt haplotypes and the dog's belonging to the breed [15]. This may serve as evidence that breed differentiation began and occurred in genetically diverse populations of primitive breeds that were widespread throughout the world. Research at the level of nuclear DNA has revealed great genetic diversity in dogs. These data also suggest that the genetic pool of modern dogs evolved from a diverse gene pool[13][16], which in turn may indicate multiple independent wolf domestication events at different locations and times. Despite the fact that modern data suggest the emergence of dogs in Southeast Asia about 12-15 thousand years ago [14] [17], in Western Russia at the same time there were already dogs diverging from the wolf

There are different scenarios for the beginning of the domestication of the wolf. In one of them, the initiative to domesticate the wolf belonged to man, in the other, the wolf itself began to develop a new ecological niche near the sites of primitive man, that is, it was “self-domesticated”. Probably, its pioneers could be very rare, unique in behavior individuals, the most tolerant of humans. The first group of such animals could be highly in**ed and subject to genetic drift processes. Multiplied in number, this initial population could, as some scientists suggest[11][14], give the world all the variety of dogs. This suggestion was made on the basis of mtDNA studies that revealed a small number of mitochondrial lineages, which could indicate a limited number of founders of domesticating events.

The dog is the oldest of all domestic animals. Scholars agree that the dog was domesticated in the Old World during the Upper Paleolithic; however, there is still no consensus on the exact place, time period and reasons for the domestication of the dog in the scientific community [12]. Rock carvings, drawings and finds of archaeologists allow scientists to draw some conclusions and assumptions. In the Volga-Oka interfluve, the dog is present throughout the Mesolithic and, according to archaeologists, was the only domestic animal. Mesolithic dogs were distinguished by their large size and powerful jaws. Judging by the traces of cutting on the bones, the local population used dogs for food. Skins and bones were used (for the manufacture of needle cases). The main role of the dog of this period is a hunting assistant.

There are several hypotheses about the origin of the dog, the wolf and some types of jackals are considered to be its most probable ancestors.
In the judgments of scientists about the ancestors of the domestic dog, there are two points of view. Some believe that dogs are a polyphyletic group (descended from several ancestors), others are of the opinion that all dogs are descended from one ancestor (monophyletic theory) [9] [non-authoritative source?].
Ethologist Konrad Lorenz, Nobel Prize winner, put forward at one time the theory of the origin of dogs from wolves and from jackals[10], emphasizing the diametrical differences between their characters and habits.
Comprehensive results of a comparative analysis of chromosomes, behavior, morphology, vocalization and the results of molecular genetic analysis indicate the origin of a dog from a wolf.

A dog (lat. Canis familiaris, or Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic animal, one of the most popular (along with a cat) companion animals.
The domestic dog was described as an independent biological species Canis familiaris by Linnaeus in 1758; currently, this scientific name is recognized by many authoritative organizations, such as the American Society of Mammalogists[2][3][4]. Some sources (for example, ITIS and MSW3) follow an alternative classification in which the dog is considered a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus familiaris)[5][6]. In Russian-language written sources, the word "dog" in the meaning of the corresponding animal has been found at least since 1475 (starting with the letter of Prince Andrei Vasilyevich the Lesser Kirillov Monastery)[7][8].
From a zoological point of view, a dog is a placental mammal of the carnivore order of the canine family.
Dogs are known for their learning abilities, love of play, and social behavior. Special breeds of dogs have been bred for various purposes: hunting, guarding, pulling horse-drawn transport and others, as well as decorative breeds (for example, lap dog, poodle).
If it is necessary to differentiate by s*x, the terms “male” (male) and “female” (female) are used; in everyday speech - "dog" and "dog", respectively. Dog cubs are called puppies or kittens.