Search for the first ‘man’s best friend’

Scientists at Durham University hope to find out when and where dogs first became man's best friend by examining DNA and bones from ancient remains - of wolves as well as dogs. The earliest conclusive evidence for domestic dogs is about 14,000 years ago, but some theories suggest dogs could have been domesticated as long as 35,000 years ago. Arguments persist regarding where the process first began. Some researchers insist dogs were domesticated just once in East Asia - and spread from there - while others suggest the practice happened in a variety of different areas and at different times. The project, funded by a major grant from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), will enable researchers from Durham University and the University of Aberdeen to apply cutting-edge techniques to examine the DNA, bones and teeth of dog remains found across Asia and Europe. Lead researcher Greger Larson , a Reader and ancient DNA expert in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, said: "It is remarkable that despite the fact we have a good feel for the times and places of when cows, sheep, goats, and pigs were domesticated, we still don't have the first clue about dogs. Using a combination of state-of-the-art techniques we hope to change that." Keith Dobney, Sixth Century Chair of Human Palaeoecology at the University of Aberdeen, said: "Just about everything associated with domestication is really about the beginnings of farming.