First domesticated animal

Fossil evidence suggests that Palaeolithic humans in east Asia had tamed dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) – by breeding aggression out of wolves (C. lupus) – at least 15,000 years ago. There is ongoing debate on this topic, however. In Jan 2021, a study in the journal PNAS postulated that Siberian hunters may have tamed wolves c. 23,000 years ago, while others still suggest as far back as 40,000 years.

Dogs probably accompanied hunting expeditions, as well as helping to guard communities and warning them of possible danger. However, during the earliest stages of domestication, they were probably eaten too, as were goats and sheep (both of which were also domesticated early on) before the value of the products they provided, such as milk and wool, became evident. Archaeological evidence suggests that dogs accompanied humans as they crossed over the Bering Land Bridge from north-east Asia and on to the North American continent, which probably occurred prior to 15,000 years ago.