Scientists Find World’s Oldest Known Dog From 15,800 Years Ago

Researchers have discovered the oldest genetically confirmed dog remains, dating back 15,800 years from a site in Turkey. The findings show dogs were widespread companions to humans thousands of years before agriculture began.

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about humanity’s oldest companion, identifying the most ancient known dog through genetic analysis. The canine remains, found at an archaeological site in Turkey called Pinarbasi, date back an remarkable 15,800 years.

This ancient dog pushes back the timeline of confirmed canine domestication by approximately 5,000 years compared to previous discoveries. The remains were uncovered at a rock shelter where prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities once lived.

Researchers published their breakthrough findings Wednesday in two separate studies in the journal Nature. The work reveals that dogs had already spread across wide areas of Europe and Asia, becoming deeply embedded in human societies long before people began farming.

William Marsh, a postdoctoral researcher at London’s Francis Crick Institute who co-authored one study, explained that genetic evidence points to dogs being present throughout western Eurasia by 18,000 years ago. At that time, they had already developed significant genetic differences from their wolf ancestors.

“We putatively predict that dog and wolf populations diverged a lot earlier, likely before the last glacial maximum (of the Ice Age), so before 24,000 years ago. Although saying that, there is still a great degree of uncertainty,” Marsh said.

The research shows dogs evolved from an ancient wolf population that’s separate from today’s wolves, making them humanity’s first domesticated animal. Other animals like goats, sheep, cattle and cats were domesticated much later.

Anders Bergström, a geneticist from the University of East Anglia in England who led the second study, emphasized the special relationship between humans and dogs throughout history.

“Dogs have been by our side as humans underwent major lifestyle transitions and complex societies emerged,” said Bergström.

“I think it’s also interesting that, unlike most other domesticated animals, dogs do not always have very clearly defined roles or purposes for humans. Perhaps their primary role is often just to provide companionship,” Bergström said.

Bergström’s research team conducted an extensive analysis of ancient remains from across Europe, examining 216 specimens ranging from 46,000 to 2,000 years old. The bones came from nine countries including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey, representing the most comprehensive study of its kind.

Through their analysis, scientists successfully identified 46 ancient dogs and 95 wolves. This genetic testing proved crucial because early domesticated dogs looked so similar to wolves that visual examination alone couldn’t distinguish between them.

The oldest dog identified by Bergström’s team lived 14,200 years ago and was found in Switzerland’s Kesslerloch Cave. Importantly, the European dogs shared common ancestry with canines from Asia and other regions, indicating that dog domestication likely happened once rather than multiple times in different locations.

The Turkish Pinarbasi dog from Marsh’s study provided fascinating insights into how much ancient people valued their canine companions.

“At Pinarbasi, we have both human and dog burials, with dogs buried alongside humans,” Marsh said.

Evidence also suggests these ancient people fed fish to their dogs, showing deliberate care and feeding.

Marsh’s research identified five dogs living between 15,800 and 14,300 years ago, including remains from England’s Gough’s Cave near Cheddar.

“At Gough’s Cave, we have butchering and processing of humans after death that included cannibalism, as a funerary behavior akin to burial. Similar post-mortem modification, albeit not definitively for consumption, was found on the dog remains,” Marsh said.

Analysis revealed that both the Turkish and English ancient dogs were more genetically similar to modern European and Middle Eastern breeds like boxers and salukis, rather than Arctic breeds such as Siberian huskies.

Beyond providing companionship, these prehistoric dogs likely assisted with hunting or served as early warning systems during the Ice Age, researchers believe. Unlike today’s diverse dog breeds, these early canines probably still looked very much like their wolf ancestors.

Despite these new discoveries, many questions remain about humanity’s relationship with dogs.

“The questions of when, where and why people domesticated dogs still remain largely unanswered,” Bergström said. “We think it probably happened somewhere in Asia, but more precisely remains to be determined.”