The Untold Story Of How Dogs Became Our Best Friends

Dogs and humans have been BFFs for a very long time -- at least 10,000 years. No surprise there. But have you ever wondered just how dogs and other animals got domesticated, and why? And how today's domesticated animals differ from their wild predecessors? The story is even more complicated than you might imagine. To learn more about how man's best friend came to be -- and how dogs changed the course of human history -- check out the video above, and/or read the transcript below. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments. Talk nerdy to me! CLICK HERE FOR FULL TRANSCRIPT They’re our best friends! Around 144 million Americans own a dog or cat as a pet. But how did our domesticated companions make the transition from wild creatures to tamed animals? And what does their history have to do with our history? Let’s find out. Hey everyone. Jacqueline Howard here. Evidence for animal domestication can be found in ancient texts, wall paintings, Egyptian tombs and burial grounds. From all of this evidence along with modern genetic testing, we can piece together a pretty good timeline as to what animals were domesticated and where and when this took place. For instance, we know that dogs were humans’ first pets. Some scientists say they evolved from wolves, but a new study suggests that dogs and gray wolves rather evolved from a common ancestor. Regardless, archaeologists know, from digging up artifacts and animal bones, that dogs have been a part of human live...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news