RESUMO
A century ago the remains of a dog skeleton were found in an archaeological double human burial, near Bonn-Oberkassel (Germany). Recent re-examination of the dog remains revealed that they were about 14,500 years old. Based on the growth plates, the animal was considered to be approximately 7·5 months old at the time of death. Based on the minimal humeral diameter, it was calculated that it was approximately 0·47 m tall at the shoulder and weighed approximately 15·7 kg. The right proximal ulna of this skeleton showed osteoarthritis, manifested by an osteophyte of 5×3×1·5 mm3 at its cranial edge, with no identified primary developmental causes for osteoarthritis. Osteochondritis dissecans, joint incongruity and trauma are possible aetiologies. The left ulna did not reveal any abnormalities.
Assuntos
Doenças do Cão/história , Fósseis , Osteoartrite/veterinária , Animais , Arqueologia , Cães , História Antiga , Osteoartrite/história , Datação RadiométricaRESUMO
The geographic and temporal origins of the domestic dog remain controversial, as genetic data suggest a domestication process in East Asia beginning 15,000 years ago, whereas the oldest doglike fossils are found in Europe and Siberia and date to >30,000 years ago. We analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of 18 prehistoric canids from Eurasia and the New World, along with a comprehensive panel of modern dogs and wolves. The mitochondrial genomes of all modern dogs are phylogenetically most closely related to either ancient or modern canids of Europe. Molecular dating suggests an onset of domestication there 18,800 to 32,100 years ago. These findings imply that domestic dogs are the culmination of a process that initiated with European hunter-gatherers and the canids with whom they interacted.
