Med. Weter. 81
full text
| AGATA MAŁYSZEK, MACIEJ JANECZEK, TOMASZ GĘBAROWSKI |
| Domestication of the dog (Canis familiaris) in the light of current palaeogenomic and veterinary knowledge |
| The dog (Canis familiaris) is the oldest animal domesticated by humans, and its domestication represents a key stage in the history of human–animal relations. Despite many years of archaeological and genetic research, the course of this process remains a subject of scientific debate. The aim of this article is to present the current state of knowledge regarding the domestication of the dog, with particular emphasis on palaeogenomic data and their significance for veterinary science. The oldest archaeological finds interpreted as early dogs, the main models of domestication, the results of ancient DNA analyses, and demographic processes such as genetic bottlenecks are discussed. Particular attention is paid to genomic adaptations of dogs to the human environment and the significance of the canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT) as a unique “living record” of early dog populations. The conclusions indicate that the domestication of the dog was a complex, multi-stage process closely linked to the migrations and cultural changes of human populations. The integration of archaeological, genetic and biological data allows for an increasingly accurate reconstruction of the history of the dog’s origins, whilst having significant implications for modern veterinary medicine. |
| Keywords: dog domestication; paleogenomics; ancient DNA; genetic bottleneck; canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT); archaeozoology |