DNA Study Suggests Dogs Migrated With Early Farmers

RENNES, FRANCE—BBC News reports that a genetic study of dog remains recovered across Europe and Asia indicates that dogs traveled with early farmers from the Middle East some 9,000 years ago. “Our study shows that dogs and humans have an intertwined story—dogs followed humans during this migration across Europe,” said Morgane Ollivier of the University of Rennes. The dogs are thought to have helped their human companions with the herding of sheep, goats, and pigs during the trip, and then mixed with European dogs upon their arrival. To read about new research on the origin of dogs in the Americas, go to “The American Canine Family Tree.”