University of Arizona Study Reveals Early Human-Canine Relationships

Recent archaeological discoveries are shedding new light on the early interactions between humans and canines in the Americas. For years, scientists have been intrigued by the question of when and how ancient people began to form bonds with dogs and wolves.

A groundbreaking study led by a researcher from the University of Arizona suggests that these relationships may have begun earlier than previously thought. Published in the journal Science Advances, the research indicates that humans and the ancestors of modern dogs were already closely connected around 12,000 years ago in Alaska.

“We now have evidence that canids and people had close relationships earlier than we knew they did in the Americas,” stated François Lanoë, the study’s lead author and an assistant research professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Anthropology. Lanoë emphasized the importance of this discovery in understanding whether early Americans arrived with dogs.

In 2018, Lanoë and his team discovered a canine tibia at the Swan Point site in Alaska, dating back to the end of the Ice Age. Further excavations in 2023 revealed an 8,100-year-old jawbone at Hollembaek Hill, suggesting early domestication signs.

The Evidence of Fish in the Diet

Both bones showed significant traces of salmon proteins, pointing to a diet influenced by human interaction. This is unusual since canines in the area typically hunted terrestrial animals. “This is the smoking gun because they’re not really going after salmon in the wild,” explained Ben Potter, a co-author and archaeologist from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

While the findings confirm early human-canine relationships, the researchers are cautious about labeling these canines as the earliest domesticated dogs in the Americas. “It asks the existential question, what is a dog?” Potter remarked.

Lanoë noted that while behaviorally akin to dogs, these canines might not be genetically linked to known dog populations. “Behaviorally, they seem to be like dogs, as they ate salmon provided by people,” he said, “but genetically, they’re not related to anything we know.”

Collaborating with Indigenous Communities

Josh Reuther, a co-author and archaeologist at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, highlighted the study’s collaboration with local tribes in Alaska’s Tanana Valley. The Healy Lake Village Council, representing the Mendas Cha’ag people, was consulted before the study, even approving genetic tests on the specimens.

Evelynn Combs, a Healy Lake member and archaeologist, shared her experience of growing up in the area and her connection with the researchers. “It is little – but it is profound – to get the proper permission and to respect those who live on that land,” she expressed.

Combs recalled the deep bond between villagers and their canine companions, saying, “I really like the idea that, in the record, however long ago, it is a repeatable cultural experience that I have this relationship and this level of love with my dog.” She emphasized that these relationships have persisted throughout history, adding, “I know that throughout history, these relationships have always been present. I really love that we can look at the record and see that thousands of years ago, we still had our companions.”