The Historical Symbiosis - From Early Upper Paleolithic and The Myth

(Archaeologists have also discovered remains of a burial site at a Natufian village called Ain Mallaha, in which an old
man and a young pup are buried together; the mans left hand is cradling the dog.)
Dr. Boudai Maligne, who studies at French National Center for Scientific Research, and
majors in Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, and Historical Anthropology, has her
newest dogs domestication research published at Journal of Archaeological Science. In
Malignes research, the evidences of the symbiosis between humans and dogs, which come from
both fossil records and biometric data, show the existence of when did this relationship started.

A combination of biometric and morphological data provides a reliable basis for critiquing a
series of recent publications purportedly demonstrating the presence of dogs alongside humans
during the Early Upper Paleolithic (Myriam 80). However, the exact time of the start point of
the dog domestication remains a myth. The timing of wolf domestication remains a subject of
intense debate, especially as recent genetic, morphological and radiometric analyses of relevant
skeletal material apparently demonstrate the presence of canids on Eurasian Early Upper
Palaeolithic sites to be more widespread than previously envisaged (Myriam 80). We surely
have decent and precise technology to identify the bones age and DNA residues component
from both fossil records and frozen tissues (such as the revealed mammoth body from Siberian),
but the critical line is whether we can find valuable evidences which are supportive enough, just
as Boudadi states The polymorphic character of C. lupus brought to light in our morphometric
analyses of wild Eurasian wolf populations once again underscores the necessity of employing a
robust database( Myriam 88). More fossils have been revealed in recent years during the
acceleration of urbanization and disafforestation, but the exactly start point of dog domestication
still remains a myth. I will keep tracking data and keep updating my research at this point.
Despite the difficulties of consummating both fossil and genetic database, we can still
learn the dog domestication from literature, such as paints, myths, poems, and other arts.
If we want to investigate the history of dog domestication, we must first understand when
did the broad term of domestication started; what factor that turned wild animals into pets and
livestock; and what was it looked like at the beginning.
In order to answer these series of questions, I shall review them in a timeline. At preliterate epoch, when our first generation of intelligent homo-sapiens ancestors were smart
enough to sharp their stone spears to hunt, and started to respect their prey animals, they start to

understand the differences between animals and humans. However, since they could not explain
the differences, they owed these myths to the unpredictable Mother Nature, and started to
reverse feed the nature by sacrifice or worship animals at certain days like Irvine describes,
They were subjected and worshipped, bred and sacrificed (Irvine 35). Alongside with farther
human evolution, our ancestors turned from hunters to farmers, and this step was one of the
milestone. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of mankind's change from huntergatherer to domesticator of plants and animals (Elizabeth Lawrence 46). In addition, the
relationship between humans and animals have also changed, humans were no longer respect the
nature and animals as much as before since they started to reveal their dominations. As results,
farmers started to gather all different sources and learn to store them; they also start to conquer
on land by separating out farms, eliminating useless crops and animals such s rodents and
birds. As Irvine describes here, In contrast, the transition to farming required both an intimacy
with the natural world and a conquering attitude toward it (Irvine 36). The transformation of
humans from hunters to farmers had truly changed the whole planet, abiotic and biotic.
The domination successfully prioritized the specie of humans, and other species, which
got along with humans, were promoted to pets or livestock. Dogs are the most successful
specie that not only earned humans trust, but also co-evolved with humans during the last 12,000
years. Archaeological evidence has long placed the origins of the domestic dog (Canis lupus
familiaris) just prior to the beginning of the Holocene Epoch, some 12,000-15,000 years ago,
according to Morey, Darcy F, the author of Dogs: Domestication and the Development of a
Social Bond.

The Guardians

The trending popularity of dog domestication during the last 15,000 years was
significant. We have created such great amount of varieties of different breeds, and certainly
have trained this beautiful specie to our best friend. However, what is the invisible factor that
drove the domestication happen so fast and smooth? What are the benefits that this relationship
provides us?
Artificially selective breeding drove the dog domestication away from trouble and
deviation. Domestication has started from Stone Age because our ancestors made to protect
themselves. Temple Grandin, the famous autistic animal expert, has her own idea in her excerpt
Why cats and dogs think differently about you. She states, Humans started preferring wolves
that were especially good at guarding the settlement or going on hunting parties with them. They
would have started dogs down the path of becoming specialized for work (Grandin 64). Grandin
found out our ancestors especially liked training wolves, and this is probably because after
several generations of observations and experiments, humans have found the wolf was the easiest
tamable specie. Besides, standing in wolves shoes, the less fearful wolves were more likely to be
adopted by humans, so they were capable to survive better interspecific to pass down this
tameness gene, hence the tamable gene gradually exclusively to dogs.
Furthermore, the establisher of Clever Dog Lab and the Wolf Science Center, Range
Friederike, has her own idea, Hare and Tomasello (2005) proposed that selection for a tamer
temperament and for reduced fear and aggression explains the higher success of dogs in
cooperative and communicative interactions with humans in comparison to wolves (Range 2).
Therefore, the more interactive dogs outperformed wolves and successfully settled with humans.
Hence, when humans received enough protection; when wolves received enough shelter and
food, both of the two species have overcame the intraspecie barrel, and started to co-operate.

The Co-operation
When humans and tamed-wolves (not dogs yet) are getting used to protect each other,
these two species also started to help each other with a better life equality. For example, humans
were no longer satisfying guarding, the only effort of the tamed-wolves. They tried to hunt more
efficiently, so they started to train the wolves to become hounds. At the mean time, those tamedwolves also started to seek the opportunities to get closer with their masters. Both humans and
wolves thought about the same thing because they started to realize the closer relationship they
obtained, the greater livability they would gain. However, training wolves as guardians was only
the entry level of domestication, but training them into multi-functional was such as big deal.
Generally speaking, not every specie is trainable, I want to firstly introduce you the
famous Canine-cooperation hypothesis. This hypothesis believes the wolf-wolf cooperation
could be the basis for wolf-human symbiosis. In order to prove her idea, she designed an
experiment that asked two sets of dogs and wolves, both sets of animals would be able to watch
how humans open a box with meat inside, and try to mimic humans operations to open the box
with conspecific cooperation. She surprisingly found out that When investigating attentiveness
toward human and conspecific partners using different paradigms, we found that the wolves were
at least as attentive as the dogs to their social partners and their actions (Range 12). Ranges
experiment proves the possibility of the mutual wolf-wolf cooperation. Therefore, she generates
the idea of the Canine-cooperation hypothesis, which can be explained as since wolves
already are tolerant, attentive and cooperative, the relationship of wolves to their pack mates
could have provided the basis for today's human-dog relationship (Range 3).

Based on the wolf genuine internal co-operations, humans were able to start train them,
and picked up some less fear ones to breed more offspring. Less fearful is a significantly
outstanding feature that made dogs the top successful domestication specie, and also endowed
the possibility to humans to train them fast and smooth. According to Dr. Yan lis research, he
believes that Domestication of the dog from the wolf was promoted by enhanced Excitatory
Synaptic Plasticity (Yan 3115). The level of synaptic plasticity will reduce wolves fear towards
to human at the beginning, and this less fearful movement directly helped them to gain humans
trust and affection. Just as Yan describes, Because synaptic plasticity are widely believed to be
cellular correlates of learning and memory, this change may alter the learning and memory
abilities of ancient scavenging wolves, weaken the fear reaction toward humans, and prompt the
initial interspecific contact (Yan 3115). Gradually this sub-specie, dog, has totally adopted
living with human, and even outperformed their ancestors. Dogs can be easier socialized with
humans than wolves. Despite this, it has been suggested that during domestication dogs have
become socially more tolerant and attentive than wolves (Range 2). Therefore, the gifted less
fearful dogs successfully started to live with humans at hundred thousands years ago.

The Physiological Improvements on Both Humans and Dogs

In addition, the benefits of this symbiosis also include positive physiological changes on
both sides. According to the newest research Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution
of human-dog bonds by Nagasawa et al, at June 12, 2015. The scientists have found out the
positive physiological impact on human during cuddling or touching, or even gazing dogs. In this
research, Nagasawa et al have found the increasing oxytocin level at both human and dog urine
when they are gazing each other. (Oxytocin, one of the so-called love hormone which can
reduces stress responses, including anxiety - and these anxiolytic effects have been demonstrated
in a number of species (medicalNewsDaily.com)). Referring to Nagasawas research, It is
plausible that a specific affiliative relationship developed between humans and dogs despite
interspecies differences We show that gazing behavior from dogs, but not wolves, increased
urinary oxytocin concentrations in owners, which consequently facilitated owners affiliation and
increased oxytocin concentration in dogs. Further, nasally administered oxytocin increased
gazing behavior in dogs, which in turn increased urinary oxytocin concentrations in owners.
According to this amazing finding, dogs and humans are not only getting along with each other,
but also internally boost each others physical conditions.
Moreover, Nagasawa et al conclude this surprisingly finding supports the existence of an
interspecies oxytocin-mediated positive loop facilitated and modulated by gazing, which may
have supported the coevolution of human-dog bonding by engaging common modes of
communicating social attachment. Therefore, if one specie can bring humans safety, enjoyment,
and relaxation at the same time, no wonder they would become humans best friend.

Conclusion
Conclusively, there are three reasons that support the domestication from the beginning.
Firstly, the wolf-wolf conspecific co-operation provides the basis of domestication, without this
god-blessed character, our ancestors would not be able to find this loyal guardian. Secondly, less
fearful wolves were selected to cooperate and communicate with humans during domestication
and, thus, evolved some genetic predispositions allowing them to develop skills shared with
humans (Range 14). Thirdly, humans and dogs enjoy company and do feel better
physiologically. Therefore, humans and dogs started to not only protect each other, but also cooperate with each other to fight for more food and live space, and a better future.

Works Cited
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Claims for Early Upper Palaeolithic Wolf Domestication in Eurasia." Journal of
Archaeological Science (2014): 80-89. Science Direct. Web.
Irvine, Leslie. If You Tame Me: Understanding Our Connection With Animals (Animals
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Koepp, Stephen. "What Are Animals Thinking?" Time. Time, n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
Grandin, Temple. "Why Cats and Dogs Think Differently about You." Time. Jim Childs, n.d.
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Morey, Darcy. Dogs: Domestication and the Development of a Social Bond. New York:
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Range, Friederike, and Zsfia Virnyi. "Tracking the Evolutionary Origins of Dog-human
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Excitatory Synaptic Plasticity: A Hypothesis. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.

Nagasawa, Miho et al. "Oxytocin-gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-dog
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June 2015. Web. 20 July 2015.