Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters
Abstract Dogs (Canis familiaris) are the first animals to be domesticated by humans and the only ones domesticated by mobile hunter-gatherers. Wolves and humans were both persistent, pack hunters of large prey. They were species competing over resources in partially overlapping ecological niches and...
Published in: | Scientific Reports |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 https://doaj.org/article/0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f 2023-05-15T15:08:32+02:00 Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters Maria Lahtinen David Clinnick Kristiina Mannermaa J. Sakari Salonen Suvi Viranta 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 https://doaj.org/article/0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-5 (2021) Medicine R Science Q article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 2022-12-31T11:12:10Z Abstract Dogs (Canis familiaris) are the first animals to be domesticated by humans and the only ones domesticated by mobile hunter-gatherers. Wolves and humans were both persistent, pack hunters of large prey. They were species competing over resources in partially overlapping ecological niches and capable of killing each other. How could humans possibly have domesticated a competitive species? Here we present a new hypothesis based on food/resource partitioning between humans and incipient domesticated wolves/dogs. Humans are not fully adapted to a carnivorous diet; human consumption of meat is limited by the liver’s capacity to metabolize protein. Contrary to humans, wolves can thrive on lean meat for months. We present here data showing that all the Pleistocene archeological sites with dog or incipient dog remains are from areas that were analogous to subarctic and arctic environments. Our calculations show that during harsh winters, when game is lean and devoid of fat, Late Pleistocene hunters-gatherers in Eurasia would have a surplus of animal derived protein that could have been shared with incipient dogs. Our partitioning theory explains how competition may have been ameliorated during the initial phase of dog domestication. Following this initial period, incipient dogs would have become docile, being utilized in a multitude of ways such as hunting companions, beasts of burden and guards as well as going through many similar evolutionary changes as humans. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Subarctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Scientific Reports 11 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Maria Lahtinen David Clinnick Kristiina Mannermaa J. Sakari Salonen Suvi Viranta Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Abstract Dogs (Canis familiaris) are the first animals to be domesticated by humans and the only ones domesticated by mobile hunter-gatherers. Wolves and humans were both persistent, pack hunters of large prey. They were species competing over resources in partially overlapping ecological niches and capable of killing each other. How could humans possibly have domesticated a competitive species? Here we present a new hypothesis based on food/resource partitioning between humans and incipient domesticated wolves/dogs. Humans are not fully adapted to a carnivorous diet; human consumption of meat is limited by the liver’s capacity to metabolize protein. Contrary to humans, wolves can thrive on lean meat for months. We present here data showing that all the Pleistocene archeological sites with dog or incipient dog remains are from areas that were analogous to subarctic and arctic environments. Our calculations show that during harsh winters, when game is lean and devoid of fat, Late Pleistocene hunters-gatherers in Eurasia would have a surplus of animal derived protein that could have been shared with incipient dogs. Our partitioning theory explains how competition may have been ameliorated during the initial phase of dog domestication. Following this initial period, incipient dogs would have become docile, being utilized in a multitude of ways such as hunting companions, beasts of burden and guards as well as going through many similar evolutionary changes as humans. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Maria Lahtinen David Clinnick Kristiina Mannermaa J. Sakari Salonen Suvi Viranta |
author_facet |
Maria Lahtinen David Clinnick Kristiina Mannermaa J. Sakari Salonen Suvi Viranta |
author_sort |
Maria Lahtinen |
title |
Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
title_short |
Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
title_full |
Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
title_fullStr |
Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters |
title_sort |
excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe ice age winters |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 https://doaj.org/article/0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic Subarctic |
op_source |
Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-5 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322 doi:10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 2045-2322 https://doaj.org/article/0087809b2603421386911fadd0bfa11f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78214-4 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766339882048815104 |