WASHINGTON – Dogs have been loyal companions to humans for thousands of years, descending from gray wolves. Until now, the exact timeline of their domestication—when, where, and why—remained unclear. New genetic research is shedding light on this, including the identification of the earliest-known dog, dating back 15,800 years.

The dog, known from bones found at the Pinarbasi rock shelter in Turkey, was kept by ancient human hunter-gatherers. This makes it about 5,000 years older than the previous earliest-known genetically confirmed canine, researchers said.

The discovery shows that dogs were already widespread and an important part of human culture long before agriculture began. The findings were published in two studies in the journal Nature.

William Marsh, a postdoctoral researcher at the Francis Crick Institute in London and co-lead author of one study, said DNA evidence suggests dogs were present across western Eurasia by 18,000 years ago and were already genetically distinct from wolves.

“We predict that dog and wolf populations diverged much earlier, likely before the last Ice Age peak, so before 24,000 years ago. There is still some uncertainty,” Marsh said.

Dogs were the first animals domesticated by humans, preceding livestock such as goats, sheep, cattle, and cats.

“Dogs have been by our side through major lifestyle changes and the rise of complex societies,” said Anders Bergström, geneticist at the University of East Anglia in England and lead author of the other study. “Unlike most domesticated animals, dogs do not always have clearly defined roles. Their primary role may simply be companionship.”

Bergström’s team conducted a large-scale study of 216 ancient remains from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey, ranging from 46,000 to 2,000 years old. They used genetic methods to distinguish dogs from wolves, identifying 46 dogs and 95 wolves.

The oldest dog found in Europe came from Switzerland’s Kesslerloch Cave, dating back 14,200 years. These early European dogs shared origins with dogs in Asia, showing that canine populations did not result from multiple domestication events.

Marsh’s study of the Pinarbasi dog highlighted the close bond between humans and dogs. “At Pinarbasi, dogs were buried alongside humans,” he said. There was also evidence that these dogs were fed fish.

The study also identified dogs from Gough’s Cave near Cheddar in England, dating between 15,800 and 14,300 years ago. Human remains at Gough’s Cave showed evidence of post-mortem processing, including cannibalism, and similar marks were found on the dog remains.

Both the Pinarbasi and Gough’s Cave dogs were closely related to the ancestors of today’s European and Middle Eastern breeds, such as boxers and salukis, rather than Arctic breeds like Siberian huskies.

Beyond companionship, these ancient dogs may have assisted in hunting or served as early warning systems. Unlike modern breeds, they likely still resembled wolves closely.

“The questions of when, where, and why people domesticated dogs remain largely unanswered,” Bergström said. “It likely happened somewhere in Asia, but the exact details are still unknown.” -Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien/Reuters