Oldest Known Domesticated American Dog Unearthed

Analysis by Jennifer Viegas
Wed Jan 19, 2011 01:27 PM ET

From the article:

"The world's oldest known domesticated dog from the Americas weighed about 30 pounds, lived 9,400 years ago in Texas, and wound up as some person's dinner, according to a University of Maine press release."

Of course, where else but Texas......

and the article continues with:

“This is an important scientific discovery that can tell us not only a lot about the genetic history of dogs but of the interactions between humans and dogs in the past,” Samuel Belknap III, who made the discovery, was quoted as saying in the press release. “Not only were they most likely companions as they are today, they served as protection, hunting assistants, and also as a food source.”

Source: news.discovery.com...

I imagine dogs would have been a very usefull pet way back when. Cool discovery

reply to post by manta78


i never knew dogs existed back then. How would it even survive that long ago? I'm new to ATS and wondering how everyone finds out these things...

Originally posted by Disemboweled
reply to post by manta78

 

i never knew dogs existed back then. How would it even survive that long ago? I'm new to ATS and wondering how everyone finds out these things...

It looks like it was an accidential discovery if you go deeper into the article:

“I didn’t start out looking for the oldest dog in the New World,” Belknap explained. “I started out trying to understand human diet in southwest Texas. It so happens that this person, who lived 9,400 years ago, was eating dog. It just goes to show that sometimes, great scientific discoveries come not when we are looking for specific answers but when we are thorough in our examination of the evidence and open to what data it provides.”

reply to post by merodock


Yes. Although I don't know about eating them however, acknowledging that is
common in some parts of the Asian world today.