Snapshot 5:Fri, Nov 14, 2025 6:23:41 PM GMT last edited by Vandita

Study: Dog Breeds Emerged 11K Years Ago

Study: Dog Breeds Emerged 11,00011K Years Ago, Study Reveals

Published 3 days ago

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Image copyright: Unsplash

The Spin

Dog breeds developed their distinct characteristics through rapid natural evolution 11,000 years ago, not through human manipulation. Scientific analysis of ancient skulls provesshows that dogs naturally diversified into hunting, guarding and herding roles without the use of selective breeding programs. This morphological transformation happenedoccurred organically as dogs adapted to different environments and served different functions in early human societies.

CNRS

Nick Jikomes on X

HumanWhile the study finds notable skull diversity among early dogs, human intervention drove dog breed diversity from the very beginning of domestication over time. Environmental pressures and human needs for specific traits, likesuch as hunting and guarding, shaped early dog evolution through selective processes. The remarkable variation found 11,000 years ago resulted from humans actively choosing dogs with desired characteristics for different roles.

abc.net.au

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 50% chance that any type of dog will have a life expectancy at birth of 30 years or more by November 2073, according to the Metaculus prediction community.