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Domestication of Dogs Timeline

(c. 15,000–40,000 BCE – Present)

The domestication of dogs is one of humanity's oldest and most significant achievements, beginning when wolves gradually adapted to life alongside hunter-gatherer humans. Over thousands of years, selective breeding transformed these early companions into the hundreds of distinct breeds that exist today, making dogs the first domesticated animal in human history. Less

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Archaeological Discoveries

Discovery of the Erralla dog humerus

1985

The humerus of the Erralla dog, now recognized as that of the most ancient undoubtfully identified dog in the world, was found in 1985 by Basque zooarchaeologist Jesús Altuna Etxabe.

Image source: Domestication of the dog

Discovery of the Erralla dog humerus

Study of Razboinichya Cave canid skull

2013

A study looked at the well-preserved skull and left mandible of a dog-like canid excavated from Razboinichya Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia.

Altai canid found to be between dog and wolf

2013

Later in 2013, another study found that the Razboinichya Cave canid could not be classified as a dog or wolf because it fell between both.

Review supports Altai specimens as extinct dog lineage

2017

Evolutionary biologists reviewed all available evidence on dog divergence and supported the specimens from the Altai mountains as being those of dogs from a now-extinct lineage derived from a population of small wolves that is also now extinct.

Cava Filo specimens dated to dog clade A haplogroup

2019

Study of wolf samples from northern Italy found that two specimens from the Cava Filo site near San Lazzaro di Savena, Bologna fell within the domestic dog clade A haplogroup, one radio-carbon dated to 24,700 YBP and the other stratigraphy dated to 20,000 YBP.

Dog remains found in Paglicci Cave and Grotta Romanelli

2020

Dog remains were found in two caves, Paglicci Cave and Grotta Romanelli in Apulia, southern Italy.

Morphometric study dates dog skull morphology to 11,000 years ago

2025

A morphometric study analyzing 643 canid skulls spanning 50,000 years found that distinctive dog skull morphology first appeared around 11,000 years ago, with the earliest morphological dogs identified at the Mesolithic site of Veretye in Russia.

Theories of Domestication

Study proposes human-wolf strategic alliance

2002

A study proposed that immediate human ancestors and wolves may have domesticated each other through a strategic alliance that would change both respectively into humans and dogs.

Study compares behaviour of chimpanzees, wolves and humans

2003

In 2003, a study compared the behaviour and ethics of chimpanzees, wolves and humans, contributing to theories of dog domestication.

Review critiques East Asian sampling methods

2017

A literature review found that an East Asian study sampled only east Asian indigenous dogs and compared their patterns of genetic diversity to those of breed dogs from other geographic regions.

Review critiques purebred-village dog comparison

2017

A literature review found that because genetic bottlenecks associated with formation of breeds raise linkage disequilibrium, the comparison of purebred with village dogs was not appropriate.

Study proposes wolf pre-domestication at Yana site

2018

A study proposed that the Yana site showed evidence of wolf pre-domestication.

Review finds genetic studies dependent on assumptions

2018

A literature review found that most genetic studies conducted over the last two decades were based on modern dog breeds and extant wolf populations, with their findings dependent on a number of assumptions.

Active Social Domestication theory proposed

2019

A literature review led to a new theory named Active Social Domestication, in which the social environment of the dog ancestor induced neuro-physiological changes that caused an epigenetic cascade, leading to the rapid development of domestication syndrome.

Review indicates domestication in Siberia 23,000 years ago

2021

A review of the current evidence indicates from the timings provided by DNA studies that the dog was domesticated in Siberia 23,000 years ago by ancient North Siberians.

Review implies domestication by Ancient North Eurasians

2021

A literature review of the current evidence implies that domestication of the dog began in Siberia 26,000-19,700 years ago by Ancient North Eurasians, then later dispersed eastwards into the Americas and westwards across Eurasia.

Genetic Studies

Study finds hybridization with Middle Eastern grey wolves

2011

A study found an earlier indication to be incorrect because there had been hybridization between dogs and Middle Eastern grey wolves.

Study indicates dogs derived from Middle Eastern and European wolves

2012

A study indicated that dogs derived from wolves originating in the Middle East and Europe, and this was consistent with the archaeological record.

mDNA sequencing indicates divergence 19,000-32,000 YBP

2013

The mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) sequencing of ancient wolves together with whole genome sequencing of modern dogs and wolves indicated a divergence time of 19,000-32,000 YBP.

Sequencing of 18 fossil canid mitochondrial genomes

2013

A study sequenced the complete and partial mitochondrial genomes of 18 fossil canids from the Old and New Worlds whose dates range from 1,000 to 36,000 YBP, comparing these with complete mitochondrial genome sequences from modern wolves and dogs.

Study concludes dogs descended from extinct wolf

2014

A study published in 2014 concluded that an earlier indication was incorrect, and that dogs are descended from an extinct type of wolf.

Study indicates divergence 11,000-16,000 YBP

2014

Another study indicated a dog-wolf divergence of 11,000-16,000 YBP based on the modern wolf's mutation rate.

Genomic study finds dog's wolf ancestor extinct

2014

A genomic study found that no modern wolf from any region was any more genetically closer to the dog than any other, implying that the dog's ancestor was extinct.

Whole genome study of wolf-dog DNA differences

2014

A whole genome study of the DNA differences between wolves and dogs found that the dogs' tameness was not a reduced fear response but did show greater synaptic plasticity.

First draft genome of a Pleistocene wolf published

2015

The first draft genome sequence of a Pleistocene wolf was published in 2015, a milestone in ancient canid genetics.

Genome of Taimyr Pleistocene wolf mapped

2015

A study mapped the first genome of a 35,000 YBP Pleistocene wolf fossil found in the Taimyr Peninsula, arctic northern Siberia and compared it with those of modern dogs and grey wolves.

mDNA recovered from Zhokhov Island and Yana river canids

2015

A study recovered mDNA from ancient canid specimens that were discovered on Zhokhov Island and the Yana river, arctic Siberia.

Study finds only 11 fixed genes vary between wolves and dogs

2016

A study found that there were only 11 fixed genes that showed variation between wolves and dogs.

Genetic study identifies Eastern and Western Eurasian dog clades

2016

A genetic study found that ancient and modern dogs fall into an Eastern Eurasian clade and a Western Eurasian clade.

Nuclear genome study finds divergence 36,900-41,500 YBP

2017

A study compared the nuclear genome of three ancient dog specimens and found evidence of a single dog-wolf divergence occurring between 36,900 and 41,500 YBP.

Genetic study supports single domestication event 20,000-40,000 YBP

2017

Another genetic study found evidence of a single dog-wolf divergence occurring between 36,900 and 41,500 YBP, followed by a divergence between Eastern Eurasian and Western Eurasian dogs 17,500-23,900 YBP, indicating a single dog domestication event occurring between 20,000 and 40,000 YBP.

Study compares North American and Siberian dog fossils

2018

A study compared sequences of North American dog fossils with Siberian dog fossils and modern dogs.

Study on Inuit-era dog replacement in Arctic North America

2019

A study found that dogs brought initially into the North American Arctic from northeastern Siberia were later replaced by dogs accompanying the Inuit during their expansion beginning 2,000 years ago.

Nuclear genome of Yana Pleistocene wolf generated

2020

The nuclear genome was generated of a 33,000 YBP Pleistocene wolf from an archaeological site on the Yana River, arctic northeastern Siberia.

Genomic study dates dog-wolf common ancestor to 36,000 YBP

2020

A genomic study of Eurasian wolves found that they and the dog share a common ancestor which is dated to 36,000 YBP.

Ancient dog genomes reveal descent from extinct wolf population

2020

The sequencing of ancient dog genomes indicated that dogs share a common ancestry and descended from an ancient, now-extinct wolf population – or closely related wolf populations – which was distinct from the modern wolf lineage.

Ancient genomes reveal pre-colonial ancestry of Mexican breeds

2020

The sequencing of ancient dog genomes indicated that in two Mexican breeds the Chihuahua retains 4% and the Xoloitzcuintli 3% pre-colonial ancestry.

mDNA study of ancient dogs in China's river basins

2020

An mDNA study of ancient dog fossils from the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins of southern China showed that most of the ancient dogs fell within haplogroup A1b, as do the Australian dingoes and the pre-colonial dogs of the Pacific, but in low frequency in China today.

Ancient genomes trace sub-Saharan African dogs to the Levant

2020

The sequencing of ancient dog genomes indicated that the lineage of modern dogs in sub-Sahara Africa shares a single origin from the Levant, where an ancestral specimen was dated to 7,000 YBP.

Rhodesian Ridgeback found to retain 4% pre-colonial ancestry

2020

The sequencing of ancient dog genomes indicated that the southern African Rhodesian Ridgeback retains 4% pre-colonial ancestry.

Study of coat colour genes in dogs and wolves

2021

A study of whole genome sequences taken from dogs and wolves focused on the genetic relationships between them based on coat colour.

Study of four Late Pleistocene northeast Siberian wolf sequences

2021

A study of another four Late Pleistocene northeast Siberian wolf sequences showed that they are genetically similar to the Taimyr and Yana wolves.

Key Facts

  1. Dogs were the first animal ever domesticated by humans, predating agriculture and livestock by thousands of years.
  2. Genetic evidence suggests dogs descended from now-extinct populations of gray wolves, with domestication occurring between roughly 15,000 and 40,000 years ago.
  3. Archaeological finds, such as a burial site in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany (c. 14,000 BCE), show dogs were buried alongside humans, indicating deep emotional bonds.
  4. Domestication likely began through mutual benefit: wolves scavenged near human camps while humans gained hunting partners, guard animals, and companionship.
  5. Most of the modern dog breeds we recognize today were developed within just the last few hundred years through intensive selective breeding.

Source

This Domestication of Dogs timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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