Dogs likely migrated to the Americas with people
DALLAS (SMU) – It looks like dogs have been "man's best friend" for a while.
Archaeological and genetic data show that dogs likely migrated to the Americas with humans over 15,000 years ago, according to a new study co-authored by SMU archaeologist David Meltzer.
An international team of researchers led by archaeologist Dr Angela Perri, of Durham University, UK, determined that the first people to cross into the Americas before 15,000 years ago, who were of northeast Asian descent, were accompanied by their dogs.
Meltzer told The New York Times, “Dogs are not going to go to the new world without people.”
The findings of the study, which were published on Jan. 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that dog domestication likely took place in Siberia before 23,000 years ago.
Read The New York Times piece here. CNN, Smithsonian Magazine, and several other media outlets also covered the news.
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