
In Short
- Researchers unearthed a tibia, or lower leg bone
- Radiocarbon dating revealed that this canine lived around 12,000 years ago
- This finding suggests that these early canines relied on humans for food
A new study led by researchers at the University of Arizona has pushed back the timeline for human-dog relationships in the Americas to approximately 12,000 years ago.
The new study revealed that early Indigenous peoples may have interacted closely with canines much earlier than previously thought.
Published in Science Advances, this research is based on archaeological findings from Alaska, shedding light on the origins of one of humanity's oldest partnerships.
The study's lead author, François Lanoe, an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona, emphasised the significance of these findings. "We now have evidence that canids and people had close relationships earlier than we knew they did in the Americas," he stated.
This discovery raises intriguing questions about whether the first Americans arrived with dogs, a topic that has long captivated anthropologists.
The researchers unearthed a tibia, or lower leg bone, from an adult canine at Swan Point, an archaeological site located about 70 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that this canine lived around 12,000 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age. Further excavations in June 2023 at Hollembaek Hill uncovered an 8,100-year-old canine jawbone that also showed signs of potential domestication.
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence was found through chemical analyses of both bones, which revealed significant traces of salmon proteins in their diets.
This finding suggests that these early canines relied on humans for food, as wild canines typically hunted land animals rather than fish. "This is the smoking gun because they’re not really going after salmon in the wild," explained co-author Ben Potter from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
While these discoveries indicate a close bond between humans and canines in prehistoric America, it remains unclear whether these animals were fully domesticated dogs or tamed wolves.
The study highlights a growing understanding of how early humans may have relied on dogs for companionship and support during challenging times.
The research also shows the importance of collaboration with Indigenous communities in Alaska’s Tanana Valley, where archaeologists have worked closely with local tribes to ensure respect for cultural heritage.
Evelynn Combs, a member of the Healy Lake community and an archaeologist herself, reflects on this enduring bond: "I love that we can look at the record and see that thousands of years ago, we still had our companions."