A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that dogs may have become mans best friend (pets) in Central Asia or modern day Nepal and Mongolia. The study which took place at Cornell University analyzed more than 185,800 genetic markers in some 4600 purebred dogs of 165 breeds, along with more than 540 village dogs from 38 countries.
“We find strong evidence that dogs were domesticated in Central Asia, perhaps near present-day Nepal and Mongolia,” the scientists wrote.
“Domestic dogs may have originated in Central Asia and spread to East Asia and beyond.”
More work is still required to fully confirm this study as the scientists are not able to rule out the possibility of migration of the dogs a separate domestication event. Nonetheless, interesting findings.
PS. You can read more about the findings here.
