Dog: Man's best friend - for Eons?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27240370/

World's first dog lived 31,700 years ago, ate big

Discovery could push back the date for the earliest dog by 17,700 years

Ancient, 26,000-year-old footprints made by a child and a dog at Chauvet Cave, France, support the pet notion. Torch wipes accompanying the prints indicate the child held a torch while navigating the dark corridors accompanied by a dog.

And a related blog entry that asks whether Neanderthal extinction may have been related to a lack of dog-empathy.

http://sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/why-are-the-neanderthals-extinct/

Why Are the Neanderthals Extinct?

23-November-2008 · 17 Comments

"This brings us to where we started this article — dogs! Our idea is that while humans formed an early and mutually beneficial relationship with dogs, the Neanderthals never did; and that is what made all the difference." -The Sensuous Curmudgeon


As a dog lover, of course I'm biased toward agreeing with this hypothesis. I won't say I do so without evidence, but it is certainly a charming notion (apart from the more squeamish thoughts of mutual survivability in times of starvation). I'm going to have to watch this Curmudgeon for a while. Maybe add him to my 'reader' list.