Humans Didn't Make Dogs Weird

Dogs exhibit immense variety, from Great Danes to Chihuahuas, a diversity conventionally attributed to Victorian kennel clubs in the 1800s. However, recent scientific findings suggest that dogs have been anatomically diverse for a much longer period. The formalization of dog breeds began in 1865 with detailed standards for breeds like the pointer, setting a path for modern breeding practices. This led to the assumption that dogs before the 1800s were largely uniform. Dogs were the first species domesticated by humans, with genetic evidence dating back nearly 11,000 years in Russia and archaeological findings in Germany from 15,000 years ago. The transition from wolves to domestic dogs likely occurred between 30,000 and 11,000 years ago. Identifying early dogs is challenging due to their resemblance to wolves, the rarity of large carnivore fossils, and the fragility of skull bones. A 2025 study analyzed over 600 skulls of modern dogs, wolves, and ancient canines up to 50,000 years old using morphometrics. This analysis distinguished dog skulls from wolf skulls and identified over 80 ancient skulls as morphologically similar to modern dogs. The oldest was the 11,000-year-old Russian specimen. Surprisingly, early dogs displayed significant anatomical diversity, about half as much as modern dogs and twice as much as earlier skulls, including shapes resembling modern whippets and dachshunds. This variability likely stemmed from environmental factors, diet, and human preferences, predating formalized breeding. Ancient wolf skulls also showed more diversity than modern wolves, probably due to population declines. Thus, dogs have been diverse for thousands of years, complicating the search for the earliest domestic dogs, as they were likely both wolf-like and anatomically varied from the outset.