Program > By speaker > Charlton Sophy

Dogs are the earliest domesticated species globally, and as such, occupy a unique position in the archaeological record, domestication studies, and evolutionary genomics. Our understanding of early dog populations is still limited, and we have little understanding particularly of whether European dogs were independently domesticated, as well as their phenotypic characteristics (i.e. what early dogs may have looked like), or of human-dog interactions. Here we present the first results from a new project focused on European Mesolithic dogs, which utilises ancient DNA analysis to help to answer questions surrounding the evolution and origins of the European domestic dog. By combining genetic data with archaeological information, our aim is to gain a deeper understanding of population differentiation, domestication processes, Mesolithic population movements and diversity. The project also allows for a broader consideration of human-animal interactions and engagements in early prehistory, particularly when set within a social zooarchaeological framework.