Fossil DNA Analysis Reveal 33000 Years Old Dog Ancestor in Siberia

According to a new fossil analysis modern dogs were around 33,000 years ago which is about 18,000 years earlier than many scientists believed man first domesticated dogs. The study was published in the journal PLoS One on March 6.

Scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences tested the DNA from a skull discovered in Razboinichya Cave in southern Siberia in 1975. Only recently the DNA was tested after more than 37 years has past since the discovery of the skull.

"Our analyses support the hypothesis that the Altai specimen is more closely related to domestic dogs than to extant wolves," the researchers said. "This preliminary analysis affirms the conclusion that the Altai specimen is likely an ancient dog with a shallow divergence from ancient wolves."

They compared this DNA to the DNA of other prehistoric dogs, wolves, and modern dogs, then mapped out their closeness based on how different the DNA sequences were. The 33,000 old fossil were more closely linked to dogs than to wolves.

The analysis showed 99% similarity to dogs, but no exact match to existing dogs or wolves.

Researchers debated about when man first domesticated dogs, but most scientists think that modern lineages of dogs started about 15,000 years ago in China while other analyses supports the Middle East and Europe.