microrobert
05-15-2013, 05:46 AM
Dogs and Humans Evolved Together, Study Suggests
http://media.tumblr.com/4a697021425ad74b2dc9c83c509a831f/tumblr_inline_mmsvvvyd7X1qz4rgp.jpg
Dogs are more than man’s best friend: They may be partners in humans’ evolutionary journey, according to a new study.
The study shows that dogs split from gray wolves about 32,000 years ago, and that since then, domestic dogs’ brains and digestive organs have evolved in ways very similar to the brains and organs of humans.
The findings suggest a more ancient origin for dog domestication than previously suggested. They also hint that a common environment drove both dog and human evolution for thousands of years.
“As domestication is often associated with large increases in population density and crowded living conditions, these ‘unfavorable’ environments might be the selective pressure that drove the rewiring of both species,” the researchers wrote in their article, published today (May 14) in the journal Nature Communications
Dogs and Humans Co-Evolving | LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/31997-dogs-and-humans-evolved-together.html)
http://media.tumblr.com/4a697021425ad74b2dc9c83c509a831f/tumblr_inline_mmsvvvyd7X1qz4rgp.jpg
Dogs are more than man’s best friend: They may be partners in humans’ evolutionary journey, according to a new study.
The study shows that dogs split from gray wolves about 32,000 years ago, and that since then, domestic dogs’ brains and digestive organs have evolved in ways very similar to the brains and organs of humans.
The findings suggest a more ancient origin for dog domestication than previously suggested. They also hint that a common environment drove both dog and human evolution for thousands of years.
“As domestication is often associated with large increases in population density and crowded living conditions, these ‘unfavorable’ environments might be the selective pressure that drove the rewiring of both species,” the researchers wrote in their article, published today (May 14) in the journal Nature Communications
Dogs and Humans Co-Evolving | LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/31997-dogs-and-humans-evolved-together.html)