Dogs and Human Evolving Together

A sequencing study suggests that some genes have evolved in parallel in humans and
their canine companions, likely as a result of shared selection pressures.

By Dan Cossins | May 16, 2013

WIKIMEDIA, JAMIE
LANTZYSeveral groups of genes in humans and dogs appear to have evolved in
parallel, most likely as a result of living in the same environment since we first
domesticated our canine companions, according to a study published this week (May
15) in Nature Communications.

An international team of researchers sequenced the whole genomes of four grey

wolves, three indigenous Chinese street dogs, and three domesticated breedsa
German shepherd, a Belgian malinois, and a Tibetan mastiff. The teams analyses of
these genomes put the split between wolves and dogs at around 32,000 years ago
much earlier than previous estimates of when domestication began. The results also
suggest that domestication may have started in Asia, rather than the Middle East as
other studies have indicated.

The researchers then identified a list of genesincluding those involved in digestion,

metabolism, cancer, and the transmission of serotonin in the brainthat are under
positive selection pressure in dogs and humans alike.

As domestication is often associated with large increases in population density and

crowded living conditions, these unfavorable environments might be the selective
pressure that drove the rewiring of both species, the study authors wrote. For
example, positive selection in neurological pathways, in particular the serotonin
system, could be associated with the constant need for reduced aggression stemming
from the crowded living environment.

Bob Wayne, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California Los Angeles,

told National Geographic that further comparisons between humans and other
animals, such as horses or goats, would be useful to see if parallel evolution between
humans and their domesticated companions is common. He also pointed out that
evaluation of canine sequences from other parts of the world is needed to verify the
date and location of canine domestication.