11,000-year-old dog skulls show dogs diversified earlier than previously believed.

Researchers analyzed 643 ancient and modern canid skulls using 3D models and geometric morphometrics and found clear size and skull-shape diversity at least 11,000 years ago, with substantial variation already present by the Mesolithic and Neolithic. The study, led by teams at the University of Exeter and the French CNRS and published in Science, covers specimens spanning roughly 50,000 years.

New research using 3D shape analysis of canid skulls finds that dogs showed substantial variation at least 11,000 years ago. The study, led by the University of Exeter and the French CNRS and published in Science, examined both archaeological and modern specimens. Researchers built 3D models and applied geometric morphometrics to compare skull size and shape across a long time span. The findings challenge the idea that most dog diversity arose only from recent, modern breeding practices. Key findings: - The project examined 643 canid skulls from modern breeds, street dogs, archaeological specimens, and wolves, covering roughly 50,000 years. - The oldest confirmed domestic dog in the dataset came from the Russian Mesolithic site of Veretye, dated to about 11,000 years ago. - By the Mesolithic and Neolithic, dogs already exhibited a broad range of skull shapes and body sizes, indicating early physical diversity. - The study reports a detectable reduction in skull size between 9,700–8,700 years ago, increased size variance from about 7,700 years ago, and greater skull-shape variability from around 8,200 years ago. - Late Pleistocene specimens examined, including some previously suggested proto-dogs, did not show skull features consistent with domestication. - Very extreme modern skull forms were absent from early archaeological specimens, though overall diversity by the Neolithic was already substantial. Summary: This work shifts the timeline for when wide physical variation in dogs emerged and indicates that close relationships with human communities helped shape early canine diversity. Undetermined at this time.