In the depths of a Gard cave, in the south of France, speleologists made an extremely rare discovery: a canine skeleton of 16,000 years old. But more than an exceptional find, this vestige of another time testifies to the proximity between the humans of the Paleolithic and the dogs, already domesticated in prehistory, as well as their probably still ambiguous relationship. If the skeleton was uncovered in 2016, it is only very recently that the analyzes made it possible to understand their scope.
The online magazine New Scientist reveals that the studies carried out by scientists show that the first men and dogs maintained, at least, a utility link – best, real affectionate relationships. By sharing the same habitat as prehistoric canids, our ancestors have learned to domesticate them. But the skeleton uncovered also suggests that the dog ended up being killed.
MIETJE GERMONPRÉ, professor at the Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium and in charge of the analysis of the skeleton, confides that it was “From an adult female whose body mass was estimated at 26 kilograms and the height of the shoulders at 62 centimeters”. A pretty memorable, therefore.
Another fact which reinforces the exceptional character of the discovery: the skeleton was almost intact, something particularly rare in similar cases. For researchers, it’s a boon: “Thanks to its complete conservation, we were able to compare different elements of the skeleton with those of wolves and fossil and modern dogs”says Mietje germonpré.
Neat then killed, the mystery remains
This level of preservation makes it possible to anchor the dog a little more in the era of the Paleolithic. Precisely, dogs of that time are considered as among the first canine species to have been domesticated, even if their parentage with current dogs is still vague.
According to Loukas Koungoulos, professor at Western Australia University in Crawley (Australia), dog domestication started over 26,000 years ago. Men and wolves would have started to get closer during the last glacial maximum, at a time when the average temperature on earth was around 9 degrees.
Prehistoric men would have collected cubs to raise them as domestic animals. The skeleton also highlights an interaction between the animal and humans: Mietje germonpré and its team concluded that the dog had been treated, the analyzes having revealed that broken vertebrae had been able to cure following an external intervention, most likely that of humans.
But the rest of the story reserves a surprise. The skeleton reveals another detail: two unchanged perforations were observed on one of the scapulates of the canine, a sign that these injuries were imposed shortly before his death. Injuries resembling those observed on animals driven by men at that time.
Was the canine killed to be eaten? Was it too dangerous to continue living in the tribe? We will probably never know. However, the team plans to deepen the study of the relationship between this canine and humans in the region. This will include an analysis of his genome in order to determine if he presents kinship links with modern dogs.
