Earliest Known Dog in Britain Discovered

0:00On March 26, a tiny jawbone fragment from a cave in Somerset, England has revealed the earliest known domesticated dog in Britain, dating back 15,000 years. DNA tests confirm it belonged to a dog living side by side with stone age humans thousands of years before cats or farm animals joined our lives. This pushes the timeline for dogs evolving from wolves by about 5,000 years. Researchers found the bone by chance in a museum drawer overlooked since the 1920s excavations at Gov's Cave. A young scientist genetic analysis proved it was no wolf but a true early dog unlocking new insights into our partnership. Scientists were stunned by the results, with collaborators double checking in disbelief. The bones DNA match similar ancient samples across Western Europe and Central Anatolia, showing dogs had spread widely by then. Further tests revealed these dogs ate the same diet as their human companions, fish in some areas, meat and plants in others, proving and incredibly close bond from the very beginning.

1:05Another study of over 200 ancient remains confirms modern dogs trace back to these early groups that traveled with ice age hunters across. Europe and Asia highlighting a friendship that's lasted through the ages.