To understand how we got here - man’s best friend, constant companion, and professional couch warmer…….you’ve gotta go back.
Way back.
Like 15,000 to 40,000 years back.
In 1985, a canine humerus was pulled from Erralla cave in the Basque Country. Decades later, it was dated to roughly 17,400 years ago - and here’s the twist:
It’s not wolf.
It’s dog. Canis familiaris.
That cracked old bone just rewrote the timeline.
It’s now the oldest dog fossil ever found.
Before the belly rubs: Wolves
Because before they were stealing our hearts (and pillows), dogs were something far wilder:
Wolves.
Territorial. Fierce. About as cuddly as a cactus.
So how did dogs become one of Earth’s most successful animals….
an estimated 900 million strong today….
while wolves, their wild cousins, cling to survival with just 250,000 left worldwide?
The answer isn’t dominance. Or power.
It’s this:
They chose us. And we chose them back.
When it came to the evolution of dogs….
Friendliness didn’t just survive…. it thrived.
The Greatest Career Pivot in History
About 12,000 years ago, when humans swapped roaming for farming, a few clever wolves spotted an opportunity.
Agriculture meant settlements…
settlements meant scraps.
So instead of chasing prey through the wild, they cozied up to the campfire and cashed in on leftovers.
Smart move.
Human trash became a buffet.
Some wagged instead of growled - the first puppy eyes.
And over time, they evolved to read human gestures better than chimpanzees can.
The punchline?
Domestication didn’t just change their diet…it rewired their minds.
Dogs didn’t just adapt to humans.
They outperformed our closest primate cousins in understanding us.
The Genius of Dogs
The Genius of Dogs by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods dives deep into this.
Their theory?
Dogs evolved through self-domestication. The friendliest wolves… the ones who didn’t bite the hand that fed them were the ones who thrived.
These “proto-dogs” became more and more adept at living alongside humans.
They learned to approach without fear, communicate with subtle gestures, and even vocalize in ways we understood.
Humans, in turn, began to rely on them … for hunting, herding, guarding, and companionship.
But it wasn’t just behavior. It was biology.
The friendliest wolves passed on genes that favored:
Cooperation
Emotional attunement
Reduced aggression
Over time, those genes gave us:
Floppy ears
Wagging tails
The uncanny ability to know when we’re sad
Survival of the Friendliest isn’t just a cute phrase -
it’s a scientific framework.
It explains how friendliness became a survival trait. And how dogs became one of the most successful species on the planet..ever
So next time your dog curls up beside you or gives you that “I get you” look…
Just remember::
it’s 40,000 years of evolution saying,
“We’re in this together.”
The Biological Betrayal of Kibble
Here’s the kicker:
Dogs evolved eating our food….meat, bones, scraps.
Now?
We feed them extruded cereal pellets.
Talk about a breach of contract.
Next email: Let’s find out who we get to blame for this.
(Hint: it involves lightning rods and biscuits.)
Sláinte,
Linda
📩 P.S. If you’re enjoying this, make sure you’re subscribed to Dog BluePrints…so you never miss an update.