The Goyet dog is the oldest known ancestor of our dogs and lived with humans.
Researchers in Belgium have found that the earliest known link between humans and dogs occurred 31,700 years ago, based on paleological studies done in 2008 of a dog found in a cave at Goyet, Belgium. The findings have suggested to researchers that the Aurignacian people of the Upper Paleolithic era were the first to domesticate dogs. This predates the findings of earlier research done on dog remains found at burial sites in Ukraine in 2003 by nearly 17,700 years.
a) Goyet dog b) dog c) wolf
Gray Wolf German Shepherd Dog
Goyet Dog
The Goyet dog's skull is broader and wider than a wolf's skull from the same period, but has a thicker mandible and much larger teeth than modern dogs.
Mietje Germonpre, (paleontologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and head author of the Goyet study) suggests that the dog was similar in shape to a siberian husky but were about as large as a shepherd dog and had much larger teeth than modern domestic dogs. Isotopic analysis of the dog's bones found that the dogs ate a diet of reindeer, muskox, and horse, but not fish or seafood. Since this diet is the same as humans of the Upper Paleolithic era in that area, Mme. Germonpre believes the dog was fed by his human companions.
Ancient footprints of an eight year old boy and a dog left 26,000 years ago at Chauvet Cave, France support the theory that dogs were kept as pets. Torch wipes on the cave walls adjacent to the footprints suggest that the boy carried a torch while navigating the dark passages of the cave accompanied by his dog.
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