Dogs have always been known as man's best friend.

Scientists have wondered how this came to be until the answer

finally seems close. There are multiple theories of what dogs evolved from, they evolved in result of the Agricultural
Revolution, and there are many evolutionary adaptions they've acquired.

There are multiple theories of what dogs evolved from. One theory is that dogs had evolved from wolves, which
explains the close similarities in looks between some breeds (Unknown 2, 2014). Another theory is that dogs could
have evolved from other closely related animals such as the dingo (Unknown 2, 2014). Scientists have only narrowed
it down to the canine family the dog because of all the possibilities. Currently, gray wolves (Canis lupus) seem to be
the possible leading ancestors and origin of the dog (Shatler, 2014). This is important because the closer we get to
finding out where dogs came from, the closer we get to finding out more about man's best friend. Once we find out
what dogs actually evolved from then we can further understand how they evolved, and why.

Currently, scientists believe that wolves had evolved into dogs because of one main reason; the Agricultural
Revolution. When agricultural societies started to form 14,000 years ago it's believed that wolves use to feed off of
the scraps left by humans (Unknown 1, 2014). Over time, the wolves became physically closer to humans, and humans
started to domesticate them. As they got closer with humans, the wolves started to adjust to eating more grains rather
than meat. Over this time, humans and wolves slowly started to develop bonds and relationships (Unknown 3, 2014).
There is also the possibility that wolves and humans had co-evolved together for much longer than previously
believed, which leads people to think this relationship was mutual for a while, and gives a different view to how they
actually evolved (Shatler, 2014). This is important because it shows how long ago man's best friend was around, and
how our bond actually started. Once scientists found out how dogs evolved, it was easier to understand what
evolutionary adaptions they've established.

Lastly, there are many evolutionary adaptions that dogs have established over thousands of years as shown below in
Figure 1.










Figure 1: This is a dog skull from about 33,000 years ago. This shows how early dogs had established adaptions such
as head structure and teeth size (Dell'Amore, 2011).

One main difference is the physical structure that dogs have now compared to their ancestors (Unknown 2, 2014).
Comparing a wolf and poodle for example, you can see differences in size, teeth, fur, and more (Unknown 2, 2014).
Through all breeds of dogs, there are at least slight differences physically, even if it doesn't seem like it. Also, dogs
compared to their ancestors have established multiple behavioral differences. An example of this would be how dogs
are now generally more kind, and they act younger for longer as they age, unlike wolves (Unknown 2, 2014). Overall,
knowing about how they've adapted let's people better understand more about dogs.

In conclusion, it's very important to learn about dogs, and really understand how the great bond started. Everyday,
and everywhere dogs are walking, playing, and enjoying life with humans not caring about a thing in the world besides
their love for each other. It is really important to learn about the evolution of dogs because we can then learn more
about how the human race evolved as well as dogs, and how the powerful bond that will never fade throughout the
years, was created.




1. "Dog Evolution Included Getting the Starch in." Scientific American Global RSS. Web. 20 May 2014.
2. "The Evolution and Domestication of the Dog - Responsible Dog and Cat." The Evolution and Domestication of the Dog -
Responsible Dog and Cat. Web. 20 May 2014.
3. "Dogs Adapted to Agriculture | The Scientist Magazine." The Scientist. Web. 20 May 2014.
4. Dell'Amore, Christine. "Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 19
Aug. 2011. Web. 28 May 2014.
5. Shalter, Wolfgang M. Schleidt/Michael D. Co-evolution of Humans and Canids (n.d.): n. pag. Web.