The dog, (Canis lupus familiaris), domestic mammal of the family Canidae (order Carnivora). It is classified as a subspecies of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) and is surprisingly related to foxes and jackals. Did you know this?
The dog as we now know it, is one of the two most ubiquitous and most popular domestic animals in the world (the cat is the other). For more than 12,000 years it has lived with humans as a hunting companion, protector, object of scorn or adoration, and friend.
It has been widely known and subsequently proven that the dog evolved from the grey wolf into more than 400 distinct breeds. Human beings have played a major role in creating dogs that fulfill distinct societal needs. Through the most rudimentary form of genetic engineering, dogs were bred to accentuate instincts that were evident from their earliest encounters with humans. Although details about the evolution of dogs are uncertain, the first dogs were hunters with keen senses of sight and smell. Humans developed these instincts and created new breeds as need or desire arose.
Paleontologists and archaeologists have determined that about 60 million years ago a small mammal, rather like a weasel, lived in parts of Asia. It is called Miacis, the genus that became the ancestor of the animals known today as canids: dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes.
Miacis did not leave direct descendants, but doglike canids evolved from it. By about 30 to 40 million years ago, Miacis had evolved into the first true dog—namely, Cynodictis. This was a medium-size animal, longer than it was tall, with a long tail and a fairly brushy coat. Over the millennia Cynodictis gave rise to two branches, one in Africa and the other in Eurasia. The Eurasian branch was called Tomarctus and is the progenitor of wolves, dogs, and foxes.
Below is a brief timeline about the evolution of the domestic dog which we will use as the basis of our Group Inquiry which will focus on the origins of the German Shepherd Dog. We have also included a video that we found most insightful. At 9 minutes, it is a bit lengthy but if you love dogs, most certainly a "must see".
As mentioned above, this video helped to clarify our thinking and was a good segue from which to launch our research. We look forward to your thoughts and feedback relating to our inquiry. Thanks for reading and hope that you enjoy the video!!
Wow this is a huge piece of work! Who wrote it? I would love to see the meanings of those hard words.. distinct breeds, direct descendants, rudimentary. Great writing!
ReplyDelete