An ancient genomic assessment of hybridisation in dogs and wolves over the last 20,000 years

Thesis

Fuelled by methodological advancements and technological breakthroughs, the palaeogenomics revolution is rapidly transforming our understanding of animal domestication. Large numbers of ancient and modern nuclear genomes are now readily accessible, and new bioinformatic tools are enabling increasingly complex population genetic analyses. Here, this thesis applies state-of-the-art palaeogenomic techniques to infer ancestry, demography, and selection in both ancient dogs (Canis familiaris) and wolves (Canis lupus). We analysed individuals from distinct geographic and cultural contexts spanning the last 20,000 years, with a specific focus on reconstructing relationships between dogs, wolves and humans. We demonstrate that the evolutionary histories of humans and dogs are inextricably linked, reflecting the long-term and integral role that dogs have played across a multitude of societies, from Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers through to post-colonial Indigenous communities. We also found frequent and often intentional gene flow between dogs and wolves in both ancient and historic contexts despite no clear evidence for admixture in contemporary populations. Altogether, our results highlight the impact of anthropogenic processes, especially migration, and shifting cultural attitudes, in shaping the diversity of present-day populations, and the pivotal role of palaeogenomics in reconstructing complex domestication histories.

Authors: Scarsbrook, LJ

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-xmzkkaxg1
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: genetics; hybridisation; domestication; dog; ancient DNA
• Subjects: Genetics; DNA, Fossil; Domestication