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My apologies, as I am not a dog lover and have never owned one, but this stuff is just so damned fascinating!
I just finished a book, Lone Survivors: How we came to be the only Humans on Earth, by British paleoanthopologist Chris Stringer, who comments as follows:
"...dog brains are on average some 25% smaller than wolf brains, and yet they have many skills that wolves lack. For example, even as puppies, they can follow human pointing to find hidden objects, and their powers of attention and imitation match or exceed those of apes, suggesting quite sophisticated cognition and mind reading in the social domain."
The transition from wolf to dog is a difficult and murky subject, as it apparently occurred well over 35,000 years ago more than once and in different regions and from distinct wolf stocks. In speculating that it could have happened with relative rapidity, Stringer points out that in Russia, silver foxes were bred to behave like dogs over a period of only 50 years. Of course that experiment was conducted by scientists with total control over the breeding and raising of the foxes, so there is no suggestion that things could have gone even remotely as quickly during our pre-history. Nonetheless, fascinating stuff, I think.
So are you also saying you have had zero access to dogs? Friends and family with no dogs?
Dogs are amazing animals and not only for the reasons you mentioned and for the reasons you mentioned.
Just wondered if you have had any hands on expierence? If not, you are so missing out!!!
No, I am not saying that I have had zero access to dogs. I was just giving an honest disclaimer - stating that I am really an "outsider" as far as this forum is concerned. This thread is not about me personally - I found the scientific information very interesting and thought you people here might find it so also, so I decided to share it. Why does everything have to be personal? I find your post to be off-topic.
Thank you for that information. The book you cited may have been one of the sources for the author I cited, whose book mentioned dogs only briefly as his topic is human evolution. (I cannot easily check because the Chris Stringer book I read was a library book and I have already returned it).
Thanks for sharing the info on the Stringer book; I haven't read it yet, so let me ask you if he mentions the brand new theories of dogs and humans having coevolved? Not just where dogs (as the only other species)--are geared toward "reading" humans, but where human social life, including hunting, may have become so successful that we outpaced other human species, because of our dogs? I find that utterly intriguing.
About getting personal: If you browse this forum you'll find that most people post because they have concerns or want to share good news about members of their family who happen to be dogs. Hard not to get personal! Each forum has its own flavor, I think. Here it is common for members to be curious about dog-related issues, so I don't find the question to be off topic. And here's a personal comment : Once upon a time I wasn't a dog lover, either. Then I started reading about the evolution from wolf to dog. Then I started wanting a dog; then I got a dog (beloved First Dog); then I became a dog lover! Honestly, true story!
No, I am not saying that I have had zero access to dogs. I was just giving an honest disclaimer - stating that I am really an "outsider" as far as this forum is concerned. This thread is not about me personally - I found the scientific information very interesting and thought you people here might find it so also, so I decided to share it. Why does everything have to be personal? I find your post to be off-topic.
I thought LuvaBull was being nice.
Regarding wolves/man- from my understanding Grey wolves started out following groups of humans eating their scraps. The humans finally tamed some of them and from there bred them for their purposes. It's amazing to try and imagine how a toy poodle evolved from a wolf. Way over my head for sure.
Thanks for sharing the info on the Stringer book; I haven't read it yet, so let me ask you if he mentions the brand new theories of dogs and humans having coevolved? Not just where dogs (as the only other species)--are geared toward "reading" humans, but where human social life, including hunting, may have become so successful that we outpaced other human species, because of our dogs? I find that utterly intriguing.
Stringer raises the possibility that having dogs may well have been one factor in the success of our species. Not only in hunting, but also in guarding the encampments and giving warning of intruders. Dogs were not only extra eyes, noses, and ears, but better ones (especially the noses). Also their speed was greater during hunting. So the relationship was mutually beneficial. The exact mechanism of the domestication may have been the adoption of wolf puppies or gradual mutual habituation or both.
These sorts of things must remain speculative, as hard evidence of the details is lacking. It is known that the Neanderthals died out about 30,000 years ago, and that they co-existed in Europe with us for a while. Apparently they did not have dogs. Therefore, one of our advantages over them could have been our canine allies.
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: Once upon a time I wasn't a dog lover, either. Then I started reading about the evolution from wolf to dog. Then I started wanting a dog; then I got a dog (beloved First Dog); then I became a dog lover! Honestly, true story!
