A young female puppy that lived approximately 15,800 years ago in what is now Turkey has been identified as the earliest known domestic dog, according to new research published this week. The remains, discovered at the archaeological site of Pınarbaşı, are believed to be nearly 5,000 years older than any previously identified dog. Scientists analysed a fragment of the animal’s skull and its DNA, concluding that the puppy was only a few months old and likely resembled a small wolf.
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The findings form part of a broader study led by Laurent Frantz of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, published in the journal Nature. The research examines the spread of dogs across Europe and Asia during the Palaeolithic era.
Although the precise role of dogs in human societies at the time remains uncertain, researchers suggest they were more than purely functional animals. Frantz noted that, even in prehistoric communities, interactions between humans and dogs likely included companionship, with children perhaps playing alongside young animals.
Further insight comes from joint burial evidence uncovered at Pınarbaşı. William Marsh of the Francis Crick Institute highlighted that both human and canine remains were found interred together, suggesting a close relationship between the two species. There is also evidence that these early communities fed fish to their dogs.
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Co-author Anders Bergström of the University of East Anglia said that dogs may not always have had clearly defined roles, adding that companionship could have been one of their primary functions even in ancient times.
Scientists believe dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, descending from grey wolves. However, distinguishing early dogs from wolves remains challenging due to their physical similarities. Despite this, researchers estimate that the two populations diverged at least 24,000 years ago.
The study also identified one of the earliest dogs in Europe, based on remains dated to around 14,200 years ago from Kesslerloch in Switzerland. Genetic evidence suggests that early European and Asian dogs may share a common ancestry, pointing to a possible single domestication event.
Nevertheless, key questions remain unresolved. As Bergström noted, the origins of domestication—when, where and why it occurred—are still not fully understood. Swedish geneticist Pontus Skoglund added that a significant genetic gap persists between dogs and wolves, leaving scientists still searching for the missing link in their evolutionary history.
