Oldest dog DNA ever found reveals 16,000 years of human companionship

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Recent DNA analysis of an ancient puppy skull discovered in Turkey suggests that dogs might have been first domesticated around 14,000 years ago – a full 5,000 years earlier than previously believed.

I remember reading about this incredible discovery from over twenty years ago! Archaeologists were digging in central Turkey at an old hunter-gatherer site and found a pit with three puppy skeletons above where they’d found human remains. It was so mysterious because the puppy bones were so tiny, scientists couldn’t even tell if they were wolves or early dogs! It really made you wonder about the relationship between humans and animals back then.

Based on their age – around 15,800 years old – the remains were more likely from a wolf. This is because they were almost 5,000 years older than any dog remains scientists had confirmed up to that time.

Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans

A new study published on Nature.com has proven that the discovered remains are those of early dogs, establishing that humans first domesticated dogs about 16,000 years ago. Researchers from universities like Oxford and Liverpool conducted the study, which also sheds light on how domesticated dogs spread throughout the world.

DNA testing of dog remains discovered in Turkey has revealed that similar ancient dog burials exist across a wide area of western Eurasia, including locations in Switzerland and the UK.

As a huge dog person, I was fascinated to hear what Dr. William Marsh from the Natural History Museum discovered! Apparently, they found that dogs from really far-flung places – we’re talking thousands of miles apart – were surprisingly genetically alike. What’s even cooler is that these dogs lived with people who were totally different culturally and genetically. It seems like by this point in history, dogs had become widespread companions all over the region, and their domestication wasn’t happening in just one place.

So, this archaeologist, Douglas Baird, was digging in Turkey and found another ancient hunter-gatherer camp. But this time, it wasn’t just that dogs were around people – they were buried with them! It’s really cool because it shows that our bond with dogs goes way back, and it wasn’t just a practical thing – we actually cared about them emotionally, even thousands of years ago. It’s awesome to think about how long we’ve been close to these guys.

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2026-03-29 20:48