#biology #dogs #dingoes #evolution
Dingoes Have Evolved from East Asian Dog-Like Ancestor: Study
Sep 23, 2024 by News Staff
Koungoulos et al. discovered for the first time clear links between fossils of the iconic Australian dingo and dogs from East Asia and New Guinea. Image credit: Sharkolot.
The dingo is a wild dog endemic to Australia with enigmatic origins. Dingoes are one of two remaining unadmixed populations of an early East Asian dog lineage, the other being wild dogs from the New Guinea highlands, but connections between these groups have long proved elusive. To investigate this issue, scientists from the University of Sydney and elsewhere examined ancient dingo remains found at Lake Mungo and Lake Milkengay, in western New South Wales, Australia. Their findings suggest that the dingo came from East Asia via Melanesia and challenge previous claims that it derived from pariah dogs of India or Thailand...
