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Ancient DNA Shows Humans and Dogs Spread Together

A new paleogenomics study has revealed that humans and dogs moved across Eurasia side by side for at least 11,000 years, with their histories closely intertwined through major cultural transitions.
Published in Science, the study analyzed the genomes of 17 ancient dogs from Siberia, East Asia, and the Central Asian Steppe—many from China for the first time—alongside 57 ancient and 160 modern dog genomes. These samples span 9,700 to 870 years in age.
Researchers found a striking match between human and dog genetic patterns over time, especially during periods of major population turnover. One of the clearest examples occurred during China’s Early Bronze Age, around 4,000 years ago, when metalworking technology spread into western China. Populations moving from the Eurasian Steppe introduced not only metallurgy but also their own dog lineages, rather than adopting local ones.
The study also traces this human–dog co-movement back at least 11,000 years, when northern hunter-gatherers exchanged dogs closely related to modern Siberian Huskies.
The findings show that people consistently carried their own dogs with them — whether as Arctic hunter-gatherers or Bronze Age metalworkers — underscoring the deep cultural and emotional importance of dogs throughout human history.

Published on: 13-11-2025

Source: Phys.org