The Wolf Within: The Astonishing Evolution of the Wolf into Man’s Best Friend

The Wolf Within: The Astonishing Evolution of the Wolf into Man’s Best Friend PDF Author: Professor Bryan Sykes
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 000824443X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
The genetic history of the dog is a sensational example of the co-evolution of two species, man and wolf, to each other’s mutual benefit. But how did this ancient partnership begin? To answer this question, Professor Bryan Sykes identifies tantalising clues in the recently mapped genetic makeup of both species.

The Wolf Within: The Astonishing Evolution of the Wolf into Man’s Best Friend

The Wolf Within: The Astonishing Evolution of the Wolf into Man’s Best Friend PDF Author: Professor Bryan Sykes
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 000824443X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 275

Get Book Here

Book Description
The genetic history of the dog is a sensational example of the co-evolution of two species, man and wolf, to each other’s mutual benefit. But how did this ancient partnership begin? To answer this question, Professor Bryan Sykes identifies tantalising clues in the recently mapped genetic makeup of both species.

Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution

Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution PDF Author: Bryan Sykes
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
ISBN: 1631493809
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, an eye-opening work no dog lover or ancestry aficionado should be without. How did wolves evolve into dogs? When did this happen, and what role did humans play? Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes used the full array of modern technology to explore the canine genetic journey when our ancestors first learned to hunt together with wolves. In the process, he discovered that only a handful of genes have created the huge range of shapes, sizes, and colors in modern dogs. Providing insight into these adaptive stages in “prose both scientific and poetic” (Booklist), Once a Wolf also focuses attention on how human evolution was enhanced by this most improbable ally. Whether examining our obsession with canine purity or delving into the prehistoric past to answer the most fundamental question of all—Why do we love our dog so much?—this book is “a must read for anybody who has ever wondered about the origins of human’s best friend” (Library Journal).

From Wolf to Woof: a Genetic History of Man's Best Friend

From Wolf to Woof: a Genetic History of Man's Best Friend PDF Author: Professor Bryan Sykes
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780008244422
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
The evolution of dogs and the forces that drove its amazing transformation from a fierce wild carnivore, the wolf, to the astonishing range of comparatively docile domesticated dogs that we know today. How is it that Homo sapiens formed such a special relationship with what, on the face of it, is a most unlikely ally? It is more than just a story of domestication but an astonishing example of the co-evolution of two species, man and wolf, to each others' mutual benefit. This co-evolution was a vital step in helping Homo sapiens overcome competition from other human species and to expand in numbers from relative obscurity on the margins towards the overwhelming numerical superiority and influence that we enjoy today. The book draws on the rich scientific detail of the genomes, both dog and human, that has accumulated over the past two decades. In each case we see a clear pattern of the origins of both species, resolving questions that have puzzled scientists for centuries. Sykes explores the breadth of this 'special relationship' between man and dog. We know that dogs descend from wolves. We know that their domesticated descendants form close bonds with ourselves and there are a multitude of theories to account for our compatible social organisations. But to a geneticist, this is nowhere near powerful enough to explain this most peculiar situation. Many theories explore what it was that propelled Homo sapiens from the position of a scarce, medium-sized primate to the position of complete domination that we enjoy today. The ability to control fire, the evolution of language and the invention of agriculture are three prominent examples. Sykes crucially adds a fourth: our transformation of the wolf into the multi-purpose helpmate that is the dog. We owe our dominance and our survival to the dog.

How the Dog Became the Dog

How the Dog Became the Dog PDF Author: Mark Derr
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1590209915
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
This “informative account” of canine evolution will “appeal to dog lovers with a curiosity about the origins of their favorite companion.” (Publishers Weekly) Many have made the case that dogs have evolved from wolves but the evolutionary link between wolves and dogs remains a mystery. In How the Dog Became the Dog, Mark Derr posits that the dog’s evolution from wolf was inevitable due to the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship between wolves and hunter-gatherer humans. How the Dog Became the Dog presents the domestication of the dog as a biological and cultural process that began with a reciprocal cooperation between dogwolves and humans that evolved over time, from the first dogs that took refuge with humans against the cold at the end of the last Ice Age, to the 18th century, when humans began to exercise full control of dog reproduction, life, and death, through centuries of natural and artificial selection that led us to the many breeds of dogs we know and love today. “A transporting slice of dog/wolf thinking that will pique the interest of anyone with a dog in their orbit.” —Kirkus Reviews

Wolf Almanac, New and Revised

Wolf Almanac, New and Revised PDF Author: Robert Busch
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1461749719
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
The Wolf Almanac has become an acknowledged reference work on the evolution and history of wolves: their biology and physiology, behavior and sociology; and their influence in ancient culture and mythology. This newly revised edition contains the most recent information on the wolves of Yellowstone, as well as fully updated information on the status of wolves throughout the world.

The First Domestication

The First Domestication PDF Author: Raymond John Pierotti
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300226160
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
"Raymond Pierotti and Brandy Fogg change the narrative about how wolves became dogs and, in turn, humanity's best friend. Rather than recount how people mastered and tamed an aggressive, dangerous species, the authors describe coevolution and mutualism. Wolves, particularly ones shunned by their packs, most likely initiated the relationship with Paleolithic humans, forming bonds built on mutually recognized skills and emotional capacity. This interdisciplinary study draws on sources from evolutionary biology as well as tribal and indigenous histories to produce an intelligent, insightful, and often unexpected story of cooperative hunting, wolves protecting camps, and wolf-human companionship"--Dust jacket flap.

Working Like a Dog

Working Like a Dog PDF Author: Gena K. Gorrell
Publisher: Tundra Books
ISBN: 1770490310
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
Winner of The 2003 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award Included on VOYA’s ninth annual Nonfiction Honor List Since the first hungry wolf bravely approached an ancient cooking fire and was rewarded with a scrap of meat, our lives and the lives of dogs have been interwoven. Dogs have worked for us as warriors with ammunition strapped to their bodies. Dogs have gone through snow, icy seas, and into the dangerous rubble of collapsed buildings to rescue us. Dogs, with their spectacular ability to detect odors, keep us safe by finding drugs and explosives. They lead us if we cannot see and react for us when we cannot hear. Most of all, they love us – and we love them. This fascinating book by Norma Fleck Award-winner, Gena K. Gorrell, describes the dogs of history, the evolution of breeds for different purposes, and the training involved in preparing the modern-day heroes who find lost children, nab criminals, and point out contraband – heroes who just happen to be dogs.

How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog)

How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) PDF Author: Lee Alan Dugatkin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022659971X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with wagging tails and floppy ears that are as docile and friendly as any lapdog. But, despite appearances, these are not dogs—they are foxes. They are the result of the most astonishing experiment in breeding ever undertaken—imagine speeding up thousands of years of evolution into a few decades. In 1959, biologists Dmitri Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut set out to do just that, by starting with a few dozen silver foxes from fox farms in the USSR and attempting to recreate the evolution of wolves into dogs in real time in order to witness the process of domestication. This is the extraordinary, untold story of this remarkable undertaking. Most accounts of the natural evolution of wolves place it over a span of about 15,000 years, but within a decade, Belyaev and Trut’s fox breeding experiments had resulted in puppy-like foxes with floppy ears, piebald spots, and curly tails. Along with these physical changes came genetic and behavioral changes, as well. The foxes were bred using selection criteria for tameness, and with each generation, they became increasingly interested in human companionship. Trut has been there the whole time, and has been the lead scientist on this work since Belyaev’s death in 1985, and with Lee Dugatkin, biologist and science writer, she tells the story of the adventure, science, politics, and love behind it all. In How to Tame a Fox, Dugatkin and Trut take us inside this path-breaking experiment in the midst of the brutal winters of Siberia to reveal how scientific history is made and continues to be made today. To date, fifty-six generations of foxes have been domesticated, and we continue to learn significant lessons from them about the genetic and behavioral evolution of domesticated animals. How to Tame a Fox offers an incredible tale of scientists at work, while also celebrating the deep attachments that have brought humans and animals together throughout time.

Once a Wolf

Once a Wolf PDF Author: Stephen R. Swinburne
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0618111204
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
This book explores the long and troubled relationship between humans and wolves--from persecution to preservation. Full-color photos.

The Hidden Life of Wolves

The Hidden Life of Wolves PDF Author: Jim Dutcher
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1426210124
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
A photographic tribute to the authors' work as wolf caregivers and advocates documents their efforts with the Sawtooth Pack in Idaho and features a passionate argument for reintroducing and protecting wild wolves.