Scientists trace origins of domestic dogs
The first domesticated dogs descended from grey wolves that were likely to have come from China.
A study led by Chinese researchers has provided strong genetic evidence that the domestic dog originated in south East Asia around 33,000 years ago.
Published in the journal Cell Research, the study also found that the first domesticated dogs descended from grey wolves that were likely to have come from China.
Furthermore, the study found that around 15,000 years ago, a pack of ancestral dogs started migrating to the Middle East and Africa. It concluded that they arrived in Europe about 10,000 years ago.
There is a lot of controversy amongst the scientific community about the origin and evolution of the domestic dog. Basic aspects such as the place and date of origin, and the number of times dogs were domesticated, are still open for dispute.
In the study, scientists used whole genome sequencing from a total of 58 canids. This included 12 grey wolves, 11 indigenous dogs from South East Asia, 12 indigenous dogs from North East Asia, four village dogs from Africa, and numerous breeds from around the world.
They found that dogs from south East Asia have significantly higher genetic diversity compared to other populations. This genetic diversity helps to indicate where a species originates from. They also found that these dogs also most closely related to grey wolves.
"After evolving for several thousand years in East Asia, a subgroup of dogs radiated out of southern East Asia about 15,000 years ago to the Middle East, Africa as well as Europe," the scientists say.
"One of these out of Asia lineages then migrated back to northern China and made a series of admixtures with endemic East Asian lineages, before traveling to the America.
"Our study, for the first time, reveals the extraordinary journey that the domestic dog has traveled on this planet during the past 33,000 years."
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
