Ancient Jawbone Discovery Rewrites History of Dog Domestication in Britain
Summary
A jawbone found in Somerset has been identified as one of the world's oldest domesticated dog remains, pushing back the timeline of dog domestication in Britain by 5,000 years.
Key Points
- A jawbone discovered in Somerset is confirmed through DNA to be from one of the world's oldest domesticated dogs.
- This finding pushes back the timeline of dog domestication in Britain to 15,000 years ago, predating agriculture and cat domestication.
- Ancient dogs from Britain to Turkey ate similar diets to their human owners, indicating a close partnership with Stone Age humans.
- The research clarifies previous confusion in distinguishing ancient dog bones from wolf bones through genetic analysis.
