Genetics/Dog Ancestry

I've always been fascinated by genetics, and especially the ancestry of the modern domestic dog. I've never been convinced about the "dogs descended from the grey wolf" theory, believing that the dog & wolf developed independently of each other, but from a common ancestor.

This article is fascinating & seems to go a long way towards support of this theory.

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go&jsonp=vglnk_152335226574211&key=bbb516d91daee20498798694a42dd559&libId=jftglfll010004m6000DApiqc17dd&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fgsduk.boards.net%2Fthread%2F892%2Fk9-magazine%3Fpage%3D1%26scrollTo%3D9237&v=1&out=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livescience.com%2F50928-wolf-genome-dog-ancient-ancestor.html&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fgsduk.boards.net%2Fpost%2F9228%2Fquote%2F892&title=K9%20Magazine%20%7C%20UK%20German%20Shepherd%20Forum&txt=www.livescience.com%2F50928-wolf-genome-dog-ancient-ancestor.html

Sorry the link's rather long, but it should work.

Ive never thought that one day a wolf decided to be a dog, evolution is so much more complicated than that. But they have a close background, much like we do with chimps and apes etc. Humans and canines came together, they then moved territories, thus the canines bred with the local equivalents that were physically different due to their environment but still viably reproductive due to their genetics, and over the many many years a dog became a dog. Then people started bashing them in the nose with shovels etc :p  

A donkey and a horse are very chromatically different, from totally different parts of the world...but can still produce a live and thriving offspring. Some can even reproduce themselves, despite various old wives tales. Same as ligers, the females can reproduce. I believe its harder for them, but it can happen. Again totally different locations, so very unlikely to ever come into natural contact..but can genetically reproduce.

Hybrids are in effect humans creating evolution in that manner. Its silly to assume that in the vast years before human records began these animals, or we, did not have some sort of hybridization. For example there are many polar bear/grizzly crosses, naturally occurring. Yes, because of the territories sadly becoming too close, but it is a naturally occurring cross, and in 100 or 1000 years this cross may be a "new species" as the poor polar bear dies out. But it will be as a result of territories changing, and animals adapting. AKA evolution.

Before the continents there was only Pangaea.

lexii wrote:Ive never thought that one day a wolf decided to be a dog, evolution is so much more complicated than that. But they have a close background, much like we do with chimps and apes etc. Humans and canines came together, they then moved territories, thus the canines bred with the local equivalents that were physically different due to their environment but still viably reproductive due to their genetics, and over the many many years a dog became a dog. Then people started bashing them in the nose with shovels etc :p  

Yes, but...

Wolves did not evolve into dogs, which is what the thinking always used to be.

Rather, an ancestor of both the wolf and the dog produced different offspring according to its location/climate/prey availability etc. It might sound virtually the same, but there's a world of difference!

Yes absolutely. But the essential point is that both were still a variation of a wild canine.

lexii wrote:Yes absolutely. But the essential point is that both were still a variation of a wild canine.

Yes. But dogs didn't descend from wolves.

And im agreeing with you, so not sure why you keep reiterating the point lol