There is little agreement as to when the domestic dog became a distinct species, biologically speaking, from the wolf.
Some contest it was as long as 40,000 years ago, others say 15–16,000 years. It likely happened in more than one place and at different times through the intermingled processes of natural selection and human intervention.
Wolves were formidable predators but also opportunists. Those with less aggression and fear and greater curiosity around humans would have benefited from food scraps, warmth and shelter, as well as more opportunities to breed, giving them a greater chance of thriving and passing on their genes – a process of self-domestication.
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Our forebears played an active part, too, through taming and feeding and selectively breeding for specific attributes (a capacity to ‘read’ human cues, for example, or a determined, bold temperament).
The fact that part of a dog’s skull was found buried with two humans, dating back more than 14,000 years, gives an indication of the longevity of the bond between our two species.
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