Circa-Mid-1850s. One of the earliest photos of a Native American, this one showing a pet wolf
Circa-Mid-1850s. One of the earliest photos of a Native American, this one showing a pet wolf. Unlike the many fearsome myths created about wolves by settlers, Native Americans maintained a close and respectful relationship with wolves and had domesticated them to become pet and working animals for hunting and carrying packs. Were wolves dependent on humans long before they became man’s best friend? Domestic dogs and cats might be a phenomenal evolutionary success story but we still know remarkably little about how, why and when these animals first became part of our human world. Archaeologists have been on the trail of these human-animal relationships for decades, searching for clues in the bones excavated from sites around the world. Geneticists are now helping to address these questions, and adding to a picture that is both changing rapidly and becoming more confusing. The dog has a very special (and unique) history with humans. Remains from Israel, Germany and central Russia clearl...