Dog ancestry

DNA evidence proves that our domestic dogs do indeed descend from wolves – they share 99.96 % of their genetics. Scientists have traced present days dogs’ ancestors with certainty back to well over 10,000 years ago but it’s believed they could actually trace back millions of years. 

The dog is descended almost entirely from the grey wolf, Canis Lupus. The North American Timber Wolf and the European Grey Wolf are examples of wolves that were introduced to Europe and North America by settlers. They are thought to have evolved from packs that roamed from East Asia to as far west as the Arabian Peninsula many thousands of years before.

Many types of wolf still exist throughout Asia that both resemble and differ from European and North American types. Those that exist in Asia are smaller and quite sociable and survive by scavenging and capturing small prey. It seems their European and American relatives became more efficient and successful at survival, evolving into larger varieties that hunted fearlessly and captured large prey. However, during the last century, wolves have largely been wiped out. 100 years ago there were over 2 million in North America alone; today only one percent survived.

Many people wonder if dogs are related to foxes, jackals and African wild dogs as they bear such a resemblance. The answer is yes. Wolves, foxes, jackals and African Wild dogs all descend from a family called the Canidae.