New genetic research published in the journal Heredity on November 23, 2011, conclusively points to Asia south of Yangtze River as the first area that man first domesticated wolves that eventually became the multitude of species of dogs that bring enjoyment to the world.
Y chromosome data indicates that all domestic dogs have their origin in South China. This evidence correlates with mitochondrial DNA evidence and is supported by the archeological record in China.
Half of the genetic evidence is shared by domestic dogs worldwide but only the whole geome is represented in dogs from southern China.
Previous reports in the journal Nature that domestic dogs originated in the Middle East did not consider the genetic evidence that is presented today.
Peter Savolainen and Ph.D. student Mattias Oskarsson from Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology and researchers from China are responsible for this discovery.
The research was announced at the Alpha Galileo web site on November 23, 2011.
Paper
Origins of domestic dog in Southern East Asia is supported by analysis of Y-chromosome DNA
Authors
Z-L Ding, M Oskarsson, A Ardalan, H Angleby, L-G Dahlgren, C Tepeli, E Kirkness, P Savolainen and Y-P Zhang,
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