Trending Now - Earliest Dogs Shared Life With Ice Age Humans, DNA Reveals

WHO:

Indian Defence Review - Researchers including Dr. William Marsh and Dr. Selina Brace from the Natural History Museum.

Phys.org - University of Liverpool and British Institute at Ankara involved in archaeological excavation projects.

WHAT:

Indian Defence Review - Genetic analysis revealed that dogs were living alongside humans during the Ice Age.

Indian Defence Review - The study identified a 15,800-year-old canine from central Türkiye and a 14,300-year-old jawbone from Gough’s Cave in Somerset as the oldest genetic evidence of domestic dogs.

Indian Defence Review - The findings push the confirmed record of dogs back by more than 5,000 years.

Phys.org - Findings documented in two papers published in the journal Nature.

WHERE:

Indian Defence Review - Canine remains found in central Türkiye, Gough’s Cave in Somerset, and several sites in continental Europe including Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

WHEN:

Indian Defence Review - The canine from Türkiye is dated to about 15,800 years ago and the jawbone from Gough’s Cave is dated to about 14,300 years ago.

Indian Defence Review - The Late Upper Palaeolithic period is referenced, placing the dogs between roughly 15,800 and 14,200 years ago.

WHY:

Indian Defence Review - The study raises questions about the origins of the bond between humans and dogs.

HOW:

Indian Defence Review - The research utilized ancient DNA taken from prehistoric canid remains.

Indian Defence Review - Chemical analysis of bone collagen showed dietary overlap between humans and canids at Gough’s Cave and Pınarbaşı.

Indian Defence Review - The study involved testing several fossil specimens to determine genetic relationships, identifying one specimen as genetically closer to a dog than a wolf.

Indian Defence Review - The study analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial genome data from canid remains.

(UPDATED March 29, 2026 09:08 UTC)

Researchers from the Natural History Museum, including Dr. William Marsh and Dr. Selina Brace, have made a groundbreaking discovery revealing that dogs lived alongside humans during the Ice Age, with findings documented in two papers published in the journal Nature. The study identified a 15,800-year-old canine from central Türkiye and a 14,300-year-old jawbone from Gough’s Cave in Somerset as the oldest genetic evidence of domestic dogs, pushing the confirmed record back by more than 5,000 years. Utilizing ancient DNA and chemical analysis of bone collagen, the research raises intriguing questions about the origins of the bond between humans and dogs, highlighting dietary overlaps and genetic relationships among prehistoric canids.