Anthro Dogs

Canis lupus familiaris

The modern domestic dog; evolved from the gray wolf (Canis lupus).

Canis lupus

The gray wolf, the ancestor of all dogs, and one of early human ancestors' main rivals at the top of the food chain.

Proto-Dogs or Wolf-Dogs

The earliest forms of domesticated canids, appearing around 33,000 years ago; distinguished by smaller size and a shorter snout with smaller teeth compared to wolves.

Canids (Genus Canis)

A group of animals including wolves, dogs, coyotes (Canis latrans), and jackals (Canis anthis).

Caniformia

The classification for 'dog-like' animals, including seals, dogs, walruses, sea lions, and bears.

Carnassials

The premolars and molars located in the back of a wolf/dog's mouth, designed for crushing bone.

Direwolf

Once assumed to be a large wolf, but genetic testing found it is not in the genus Canis.

Artificial Selection

Controlled evolution, where humans select for certain traits, resulting in the standardization of dog breeds.

Neoteny

The phenomenon of selecting traits associated with youth (juvenile and submissive traits) that are pleasing to humans, such as floppy ears, wagging tails, and juvenile facial structure in adult dogs.

Biotechnology (Dogs as)

The concept that dogs are an animal that humans can literally breed and genetically code to create different types, such as a German Shepherd or a Chihuahua.

Oxytocin

A hormone associated with feelings of love and protectiveness; released in both humans and dogs during interaction, suggesting a chemical bond.

Cooperative Eye Hypothesis

The theory that dogs evolved white sclera (the white part of the eye) to better communicate with humans, a trait shared only by humans and some chimpanzees.

Dimitriv's Soviet Fox Experiment

A study where breeding docile silver foxes together across 20 generations resulted in domestic traits (barking, floppy ears, spotted coats), suggesting aggression DNA is linked with these traits.

Gray Wolf Bite Pressure

Gray wolves are formidable predators, able to exert over 300 lbs. of pressure in one bone-crushing bite, or up to 1500 pounds of pressure in a bite.

Persistence Hunters

A hunting tactic used by wolves and early human hunter-gatherers, relying not on outrunning prey, but pursuing it to the point of exhaustion.

Complex Social Groups (Packs)

The way wolves live and hunt, typically consisting of a few nuclear families; their social skills are used to cooperatively take down larger creatures.

Monogamy (in Wolves)

The tendency for wolf family units to consist of one male and one female who stick with one partner and put energy into raising offspring together.

Flight Distance Hypothesis

Proposed by Carpenter, this suggests that wolves with more docile genes had a lesser 'flight distance' and were willing to stay near human encampments to scavenge leftovers, thus becoming early proto-dogs.

Symbiotic Mutualism Hypothesis

The theory that both wolves and humans, as efficient and intelligent predators, benefited from close contact, leading to humans allowing more docile wolves to stay near camps.

Paleolithic

The era when ancestors of modern humans first settled Eurasia roughly 100,000 years ago, encountering wolves as rivals.

Neolithic

The time period when human society became more complex with the emergence of agriculture; specialization in dog breeding occurred to create dogs for specific jobs (hunting, guarding, etc.).

Bone-overcastle, Germany

Site of the first known dog burial, dating back 14,000 years ago; involved a puppy that died of malnutrition.

Ein Malaha, Israel

An Epipaleolithic site (12,000 years ago) where a middle-aged woman was buried with the bones of a puppy under her hand, suggesting ritual significance or sacrifice.

East Asia/Beringia

Region where genetic evidence suggests the dog was present by 20,000 years ago, where wolves and humans adapted to the harsh, glaciated environment.

Cave Hyenas (Crocuta)

Larger, faster predators prevalent in Europe until about 15,000 years ago; their disappearance correlates with the period when humans and wolves lived together in Siberia and domestic dog biology occurred.

Dog Roles and Specialization (Examples)

Role/Trait: Description/Example Breed: Hunting/Tracking, Herding, Flushing prey, Racing/Aerodynamics, Guard Duty/Sentinels, Hauling/Draft Animals.

Ethnocynology

The specialized study of dogs and human cultural contexts.

Orenda

An Iroquois term for a type of karma or 'good magic' that a person derives from loving a dog.

Semiotics

The linguistic aspect of human-dog communication, including pointing, gesturing, and verbal commands.

Romulus and Remus

Founders of Rome, who were famously nursed by a Capitoline wolf.

Anubis (Anpu)

The Egyptian dog/jackal god of the Dead (distinct from Osiris, the god of death); he was the first to mummify someone and determines entry to the afterlife by weighing the heart against a feather.

Kerberus (Cerberus)

The three-headed dog of Hades in Greek mythology, who guards the Underworld.

Miktlan

The Aztec Land of the Dead, where most people went; the first challenge to cross this land was Perros, the land of the dogs.

Xoloitzcuintles

Mexican hairless dogs bred by Aztec families, often used as heating pads (biotechnology) and sacrificed upon a person's death to act as a guide into the afterlife.

The Milky Way (Cherokee Mythology)

Believed to be cornmeal dripping from a dog's mouth as it ran across the sky after eating from the communal pot.