18,000-Year-Old Frozen Puppy Leaves Scientists Puzzled – Is it a Dog or a Wolf

image

Image: Love Dalén / Twitter

A pint-sized canine was recently unearthed in Siberia, almost perfectly preserved beneath the frosty surface. It’s believed to be around 18,000 years old, and it was only a puppy when it died. It presents scientists with a rare opportunity to study an ancient member of the canine family, but first, they have to answer one very important question: Is it a dog or a wolf?

image

That might seem like a trivial question, but it’s actually more complicated than you’d imagine. Normally it’s as easy as a simple DNA test, since scientists have a pretty good handle on the genetic makeup of domestic dogs compared to wolves. Early tests of this young specimen didn’t return conclusive results one way or the other.

image

Researchers have spent decades tracing the lineage of domestic dogs and believe Man’s Best Friend was domesticated sometime between around 19,000 to 30,000 years ago, give or take a couple thousand years. Researchers say that at 18,000 years old, this tiny pup might have even more complicated ancestry, perhaps a mix of wild and domesticated canines.

image

“It’s normally relatively easy to tell the difference between the two,” David Stanton of the Centre for Palaeogenetics explained in an interview with CNN. “We have a lot of data from it already, and with that amount of data, you’d expect to tell if it was one or the other. The fact that we can’t might suggest that it’s from a population that was ancestral to both — to dogs and wolves.”

At this point, very little is known about the animal aside from its age and the fact that it was male. It may still be possible to narrow down the dog’s origins, but it’s going to take a lot of additional work. The researchers are currently planning to dive into the puppy’s genome in the hopes of shedding some light on its family tree.

Related Posts

The remainiпg traces of aliens usiпg UFO ships appear in each era

Throυghoυt hυmaп history, there have beeп coυпtless reports aпd accoυпts of mysterioυs pheпomeпa iп the sky. From aпcieпt civilizatioпs to moderп times, sightiпgs of υпideпtified flyiпg objects…

400 Million Year Old Hammer discovered In Texas The London

400 Million Year Old Hammer discovered In Texas The London The inner handle underwent the carbonization process, the hammerhead was constructed with iron purity, and this is…

Ancient Cave Paintings in India Depicting Extraterrestrials: Rewriting Human History?

📍 Discovery Site: Location: Charama, Kanker District (Chhattisgarh), near Hoshangabad (Madhya Pradesh) Age: Estimated 10,000 years old (Mesolithic period) Preservation: Natural mineral pigments (ochre, charcoal) kept the artwork remarkably intact.   🛸…

Cosmic Rays Could Finally Reveal Structure of Mysterious Tomb of China’s First Emperor

For over two millennia, the tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang have been locked away, with scientists and historians the world over desperate to catch…

Pyramids found in China vs the ones found in Egypt. Why did China keep this a secret?

1. The “Secret” Chinese Pyramids: Why Little-Known? Military Proximity: Many pyramids are near Xi’an’s sensitive sites (e.g., missile silos, airbases), restricting access. The government has actively blocked satellite imagery (e.g., Google…

Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury: Architect of Wells Cathedral’s Spiritual and Architectural Legacy

A Testament in Alabaster Nestled within the North Choir Aisle of Wells Cathedral, Somerset, stands a striking relic of medieval history—the alabaster effigy of Bishop Ralph of…