A preserved 18,000-year-old puppy that was found frozen in the ice could be the oldest dog in history.
Researches from Sweden shared amazing photos of the ancient dog after finding it in since in the Siberian permafrost in 2018.
Love Dalén and Dave Stanton have been studying the dog ever since the found him. They were amazed by his well-preserved teeth, but they weren’t sure if it’s a dog or a wolf. However, the creature could be from the point in them where dogs were domesticated.
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The researchers believe that this could be the earliest confirmed dog. If that statement is correct, this dog can teach us lots of stuff about when wolves were domesticated.
The researchers’ colleagues from Russia gave the creature the nickname – Dogor, which is a pun for dog or wolf. Although it’s thousands of years old, the dog is very well-preserved that it looks like an animal that died very recently.
Dalén, who is a professor of evolutionary genetics, said that usually when animals are found in the permafrost, they are just a few hundred years old or less. So, when they radiocarbon dated it, researchers were stunned with their findings. They got the results that the dog is actually 18,000 years old, which changed everything.
Researchers believe a lot of stuff has happened with both dogs and wolves during the period of 18,000 years. They believe that the creature is either a very early modern wolf or an early dog.
Dogor was found in north-east Siberia, a few hours outside the town Belaya Gora. He will remain in Russia, but the researchers managed to take his rib back go Sweden.
Stanton said that he is really nervous because he doesn’t want to mess something up in the lab. He believes dogs were domesticated from wolf species that are now extinct. This is the reason why it’s hard to work and understand when and where dogs were domesticated. But, this specimen may clear things up.
What an amazing discovery. This dog has been in the same pose and condition for the last 18,000 years. Thanks to this creature, the researchers will be able to take a peek and feel the history of Earth.
