Ancient East Eurasian dogs
As the first domestic species, dogs likely dispersed with different cultural groups during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed 73 ancient dog genomes, including 17 newly sequenced individuals spanning nearly 10,000 years from East Asia to the West Eurasian Steppe. Our results identify strong correlations between the ancestry of dogs and specific ancient human populations from Eastern Europe to Eastern Siberia, including Ancient Palaeo-Siberians, Eastern Hunter Gatherers, East Asians, and Steppe pastoralists. We also identify multiple shifts in the ancestry of dogs that coincide with specific dispersals of hunter gatherers, farmers, and pastoralists. Combined, our results reveal the long-term and integral role that dogs played in a multitude of human societies.