Two 14,000-year-old pups found in northern Siberia’s permafrost have led some to speculate about their potential domestication by early humans. However, a new study by an international team of researchers has concluded that the pups were likely modern wolves rather than early dogs.
The University of York-led team analyzed genetic data and “chemical fingerprints” from the pups’ gut, teeth, bones, and tissue to determine if they had any connection to human activity. The results showed no evidence of mammoth consumption, which would have suggested a link between the pups and human butchering activities.
Instead, the analysis revealed that the Tumat Puppies were littermates who inhabited a dry and relatively mild environment with mixed vegetation. Their diet included woolly rhinoceros, which was an ambitious prey for wolves to take on. The researchers found evidence of undigested woolly rhinoceros skin in one of their stomachs, suggesting they had recently consumed the meat.
The study’s findings support previous genetic research indicating that the cubs were members of a now-extinct wolf population completely unrelated to modern dogs. The discovery challenges the theory that the pups were early domesticated dogs, as their fur was black – a mutation previously thought to exist only in dogs.
Lead researcher Nathan Wales stated, “We have an insight into their breeding behaviors too… The pair were sisters and likely being reared in a den and cared for by their pack.” The study provides valuable insights into the environment at the time and how remarkably similar wolves from 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/scientists-just-solved-a-14000-year-old-puppy-mystery-2000615225