Until the 1990’s, it was generally assumed that dogs evolved in the last 10,000 years from wolves. The fierce, independent wolves were thought to have transformed into the docile dog directly because of man’s interference, popularized in such novels as The Earth Children series by Jean Auel. But this view is now seen to be wrong, especially when the DNA of dogs have been scrutinized and compared to wolves.
Dogs were descended from Asiatic wolves, but then branched off and with a series of gradual changes, became the domestic dog (canis familiaris). As more and more fossil evidence is being found in ancient aboriginal sites, it seems that dogs made a deliberate attempt to become man’s best friend. According to PBS, dogs have been their own separate species for an estimated 130,000 years.
The Earliest Dogs
The first animals that could truly be called dogs probably resembled the pariah dogs of India, the Carolina Yellow Dog or just about any feral dog population left to fend for itself for several generations. The dogs were much smaller and lighter than wolves. Their tails curled up like fishhooks over their backs. Their ears became floppier and they began to show far more colors than wolves do.
Studies of modern feral dogs show that they do not have a tightly-ordered pack structure. They often prefer to be with only one other dog or to be by themselves. All females breed and raise puppies, unlike in wolf societies where only the dominant pair breeds. Dogs have become more self-reliant than wolves. If one of the dominant pair dies, often the whole pack can be devastated. They scavenged from garbage dumps left by humans and hunted as well.
The Last Few Hundred Years
It was only when people started realizing that dogs could be used as tools and hunting partners than the real secrets of the dog’s DNA began to be tapped. There is a sizeable portion of all DNA that used to be called junk DNA. It seems that isn’t junk after all. It’s a treasure chest of possibilities just waiting to be put into use when the time was right.
Humans also began to exploit these traits for completely useless aspects such as having a squashed-in nose or hips too narrow to give birth vaginally. These dogs were considered fashionable or cute. These dogs have now become completely reliant on humans for their food, for even basic grooming as well as reproduction.
Implications
This is why some modern dog trainers like Victoria Stilwell (of “It’s Me or the Dog” fame) refuse the notion that dogs need to be dominated in order to show that people are alpha wolves. Although dogs and wolves have been able to interbreed, they should not be mistaken for wolves or treated like them. Dogs are arguably more intelligent in order to learn how to survive in constantly changing circumstances. They are not done yet.
