Dog And Human Genomes Evolved Together

Yet another topic we talk about is how dogs were domesticated. Domestication is, in some ways, a reasonable model for evolution, because it involves heritable variation that is selected for or against–in this case, by humans. It is generally agreed at this point that modern dogs descended from the gray wolf based on genetic evidence. Domestication of those animals remains a contested issue, though; did humans adopt wolf puppies? Did wolves domesticate themselves as they scavenged from human trash heaps? Was it something else altogether? This article caught my eye because it suggests that not only did the behavior of the animals change, but the genetics did as well. That’s supported by the Silver Fox experiments in Russia, which demonstrate changes in phenotype (physical characteristics) when animals are bred for tame behavior. This one may be the first hint that I’ve seen that HUMANS changed alongside dogs!