A collaborative research team from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the University of Tennessee, and Valparaiso University has uncovered significant evidence supporting the idea that wolves had sufficient time to self-domesticate and evolve into today’s domestic dogs. Their study, which was featured in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, utilized computer simulations to illustrate the evolutionary process.

Previous studies have indicated that the transformation from wild wolves to modern dogs might have been an excessively prolonged process. Researchers estimate that humans and dogs have coexisted for around 30,000 years, with domestication efforts beginning approximately 15,000 years ago, aimed at breeding dogs for various functions. However, the events that unfolded during the initial 15,000 years remain ambiguous.

Some theories propose that early humans may have favored the more sociable wolves, adopting their puppies and enjoying the benefits of their companionship. Other researchers suggest that wolves might have gravitated toward human settlements in search of surplus food. Yet, skeptics argue that this evolutionary transition would require much more than 15,000 years to reach a point where systematic breeding could commence.

In this new investigation, the researchers aimed to validate the concept of wolf self-domestication. They employed advanced mathematical models that simulated evolutionary transformations over time, factoring in variables such as the tamest wolves mating with one another. Additionally, they considered varying levels of food availability provided by humans to the increasingly domesticated wolves.

Through their simulations, which depicted 15,000 years of evolutionary history, the team discovered that wolves transitioned into dogs between 37% and 74% of the time, influenced by the prevailing conditions. Notably, their simulation indicated that the evolution from wolf to dog could have occurred in as short as 8,000 years, lending substantial support to the notion of self-domestication as a plausible explanation for the emergence of modern canines.

© 2025 Science X Network