The research team, involving experts from 17 institutions internationally, identified multiple dogs dated to similar periods across Europe and Anatolia, indicating dogs were widely distributed by 14,000 years ago. At this time, all humans were hunter-gatherers and agriculture had not yet emerged.

Scientists have known that dogs emerged from grey wolf populations and they suspected that the process took place around the last Ice Age. Up to now, evidence from pre-agricultural archaeological sites has been limited and difficult to confirm. During the early phases of domestication, the skeletons of dogs and wolves were likely to have been indistinguishable, and their behavioural differences do not leave traces in the archaeological record.

Previous studies have mostly used very short DNA sequences and skeletal measurements to evaluate the earliest presence of dogs in the archaeological record. In this new study, the researchers recovered whole genomes from archaeological specimens excavated from Upper Palaeolithic sites. These included Pınarbaşı in Türkiye (dating to around 15,800 years ago) and Gough’s Cave in the UK (around 14,300 years ago), as well as two Mesolithic sites in Serbia (11,500–7,900 years ago and 8,900 years ago, respectively). They then compared the genomes with more than 1,000 modern and ancient dogs and wolves from across the world.

The results of these analyses confirmed that these bones belonged to dogs, and that they were already widespread across western Eurasia by at least 14,300 years ago.

Not only has this discovery pushed back the earliest direct evidence of dogs by 5,000 years, it also showed us that dogs and wolves were clearly separate, both biologically and in how humans interacted with them, at least 16,000 years ago.

Co-lead author Dr Lachie Scarsbrook (School of Archaeology) 

Co-lead author Dr Lachie Scarsbrook (School of Archaeology, University of Oxford) said: ‘Not only has this discovery pushed back the earliest direct evidence of dogs by 5,000 years, it also showed us that dogs and wolves were clearly separate, both biologically and in how humans interacted with them, at least 16,000 years ago. This suggests that dog domestication likely took place sometime during the last Ice Age, more than 10,000 years before the appearance of any other domestic plants or animals, which really does secure their title as “man’s best friend”.’

These Palaeolithic dogs were genetically similar and were members of a population that expanded across the region between 18,500 and 14,000 years ago. They were more closely related to the ancestors of present-day European and Middle Eastern breeds, such as boxers and salukis, than to Arctic breeds like Siberian huskies. This indicates that today’s major dog genetic lineages must have been established by the Upper Palaeolithic.

Corresponding author Professor Greger Larson (School of Archaeology, University of Oxford) said: ‘By comparing the DNA from these ancient dogs with other ancient and modern populations, we were surprised to see just how closely related the earliest dogs were despite living more than 4,000 km apart. This suggests that the first dogs were a game changer and spread rapidly across Europe.’ 

We were surprised to see just how closely related the earliest dogs were despite living more than 4,000 km apart. This suggests that the first dogs were a game changer and spread rapidly across Europe.

Corresponding author Professor Greger Larson (School of Archaeology)

What role these dogs played in Palaeolithic communities is currently unclear. The remains were associated with several human hunter-gatherer populations that were genetically and culturally different. This suggests that the spread of dogs may have been linked to the migration and interaction of these groups, including Epigravettian and Magdalenian communities in Europe.

The study included an analysis of dietary isotopes led by researchers at the University of York and the Natural History Museum. This showed that people at Pınarbaşı likely fed dogs fish, which, together with evidence that the animals were intentionally buried, suggests a close interaction between people and their dogs. Suggestions of similar interaction were also seen at Gough’s Cave and a site in Germany, indicating dogs may have held cultural significance across Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer communities.

The study ‘Dogs were widely distributed in Western Eurasia during the Palaeolithic’ has been published today in Nature.

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