Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site

To study the early stages of wolf domestication, we investigated the remains of large canids from the Yana site. Morphologically they cannot be called dogs, but there are certain indicators of the wolves' relationship with people, favorable to the start of domestication. The sample is dominated...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nikolskiy P.A., Sotnikova M.V., Nikol'skii A.A., Pitulko V.V.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:Russian
Published: High Anthropological School University
Subjects:
Dog
Online Access:https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/7225/
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record_format openpolar
spelling ftrudnuniv:oai:repository.rudn.ru:r/7225 2023-05-15T14:59:21+02:00 Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site Nikolskiy P.A. Sotnikova M.V. Nikol'skii A.A. Pitulko V.V. https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/7225/ RU rus High Anthropological School University https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/7225/ Stratum Plus Arctic Siberia Behavior Commensalism Dog Domestication Neoteny Palaeolithic Totemism Wolf Yana site Article ftrudnuniv 2022-01-03T08:11:02Z To study the early stages of wolf domestication, we investigated the remains of large canids from the Yana site. Morphologically they cannot be called dogs, but there are certain indicators of the wolves' relationship with people, favorable to the start of domestication. The sample is dominated by animals with worn, partially missing teeth and various bone pathologies. Often these animals are medium-sized. One skull of a nearly adult individual demonstrates juvenile characteristics. The morphologic and morphometric anomalies observed can be explained by commensalism (deficient and young animals using the resources of human settlement as an alternative food source). On the other hand, pathologies could have been an indirect result of commensalism, rather than its cause. Due to the risk of conflict with humans, only the most tolerant animals could live near their settlement. Experiments with living animals show, that tolerance comes at the cost of accumulating morphologic pathologies, genetically associated with tolerance, which was observed in many Yana wolves. High sociality and vocal behavior allowed wolves to approach human settlements, becoming some of the earliest domesticated animals. The site yielded evidence of a special attitude towards wolves, perhaps indicating a totemic cult. The Yana site material, interpreted in light of the biological characteristics of wolves, demonstrates for the first time the earliest stages of domestication, which can be characterized as self-domestication. © Stratum plus. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Siberia Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN): Open repository Arctic
institution Open Polar
collection Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN): Open repository
op_collection_id ftrudnuniv
language Russian
topic Arctic Siberia
Behavior
Commensalism
Dog
Domestication
Neoteny
Palaeolithic
Totemism
Wolf
Yana site
spellingShingle Arctic Siberia
Behavior
Commensalism
Dog
Domestication
Neoteny
Palaeolithic
Totemism
Wolf
Yana site
Nikolskiy P.A.
Sotnikova M.V.
Nikol'skii A.A.
Pitulko V.V.
Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
topic_facet Arctic Siberia
Behavior
Commensalism
Dog
Domestication
Neoteny
Palaeolithic
Totemism
Wolf
Yana site
description To study the early stages of wolf domestication, we investigated the remains of large canids from the Yana site. Morphologically they cannot be called dogs, but there are certain indicators of the wolves' relationship with people, favorable to the start of domestication. The sample is dominated by animals with worn, partially missing teeth and various bone pathologies. Often these animals are medium-sized. One skull of a nearly adult individual demonstrates juvenile characteristics. The morphologic and morphometric anomalies observed can be explained by commensalism (deficient and young animals using the resources of human settlement as an alternative food source). On the other hand, pathologies could have been an indirect result of commensalism, rather than its cause. Due to the risk of conflict with humans, only the most tolerant animals could live near their settlement. Experiments with living animals show, that tolerance comes at the cost of accumulating morphologic pathologies, genetically associated with tolerance, which was observed in many Yana wolves. High sociality and vocal behavior allowed wolves to approach human settlements, becoming some of the earliest domesticated animals. The site yielded evidence of a special attitude towards wolves, perhaps indicating a totemic cult. The Yana site material, interpreted in light of the biological characteristics of wolves, demonstrates for the first time the earliest stages of domestication, which can be characterized as self-domestication. © Stratum plus.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Nikolskiy P.A.
Sotnikova M.V.
Nikol'skii A.A.
Pitulko V.V.
author_facet Nikolskiy P.A.
Sotnikova M.V.
Nikol'skii A.A.
Pitulko V.V.
author_sort Nikolskiy P.A.
title Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
title_short Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
title_full Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
title_fullStr Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
title_full_unstemmed Predomestication and Wolf-human relationships in the arctic Siberia of 30, 000 years ago: Evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
title_sort predomestication and wolf-human relationships in the arctic siberia of 30, 000 years ago: evidence from the yana palaeolithic site
publisher High Anthropological School University
url https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/7225/
geographic Arctic
geographic_facet Arctic
genre Arctic
Siberia
genre_facet Arctic
Siberia
op_source Stratum Plus
op_relation https://repository.rudn.ru/records/article/record/7225/
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