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Native American dogs, or Pre-Columbian dogs, were dogs living with people indigenous to the Americas. Arriving about 10,000 years ago alongside Paleo-Indians, today they make up a fraction of dog breeds that range from the Alaskan Malamute to the Peruvian Hairless Dog. [1]
The earliest evidence for dogs in the Americas can be found in Danger Cave, Utah, a site which has been dated to between 9,000 and 10,000 years BC. These New World dogs have been shown to descend from Old World Eurasian grey wolves. [2]
In 2018, a study compared sequences of North American dog fossils with Siberian dog fossils and modern dogs. The nearest relative to the North American fossils was a 9,000 BC fossil discovered on Zhokhov Island, Arctic north-eastern Siberia, which was connected to the mainland at that time. The study inferred from mDNA that all of the North American dogs shared a common ancestor dated 14,600 BC, and this ancestor had diverged along with the ancestor of the Zhokhov dog from their common ancestor 15,600 BC. The timing of the Koster dogs shows that dogs entered North America from Siberia 4,500 years after humans did, were isolated for the next 9,000 years, and after contact with Europeans these no longer exist because they were replaced by Eurasian dogs.
The pre-contact dogs exhibit a unique genetic signature that is now gone, with DNA from the cell nucleus indicating that their nearest genetic relatives today are the Arctic breed dogs—Alaskan Malamutes, Greenland Dogs, Alaskan huskies, Carolina Dogs, and Siberian Huskies. [1]
It is theorized that there were four separate introductions of the dog over the past nine thousand years, [1] in which five different lineages were founded in the Americas. [3]
The aboriginal dogs of the Native Americans were described as looking and sounding like wolves. [4] The Hare Indian dog is suspected by one author of being a domesticated coyote from its historical description. [5] At Arroyo Hondo Pueblo in northern New Mexico during the 14th century C.E., several coyotes seem to have been treated identically to domestic dogs. [6]
One of the most ancient dog breeds of the Americas, the Xoloitzcuintle (or 'Xolo' for short), accompanied the earliest migrants from Asia and had developed into the breed seen today in Mexico by at least 3,500 years ago. [7]
In South America, the introduction of the dog took place sometime between 7,500 and 4,500 BP (5550–2550 BCE). [8] [9] Findings for dogs in South America get only denser by 3,500 BP (1550 BCE) but seem to be restricted to agricultural areas in the Andes. [8] [9] The oldest finding of a dog for Brazil is radiocarbon dated to between 1701 and 1526 cal BP (249–424 CE), [8] and for the Pampas of Argentina the oldest is dated as 930 BP (1020 CE). [9] In Peru, depictions of Peruvian hairless dogs appear around 750 CE on Moche ceramic vessels and continue in later Andean ceramic traditions. [10] [ page needed ][ better source needed ]
Culinary
There are numerous historical accounts of indigenous peoples eating dog meat. In their journals from their 1804–1806 expedition through western North America, both Meriwether Lewis and William Clark mention dog consumption by many of the indigenous tribes they encountered. [11]
Hunting
The Tahltan Bear Dog was bred to hunt larger game. [12]
Herding
In the Andes region of South America, some cultures like the Chiribaya and Inca used herding dogs, such as the Chiribaya Dog.
Lap dogs and companions
Mexica nobility of Mexico occasionally kept tlalchichi, the direct ancestor of the modern Chihuahua breed, as pets. [13] Some well-preserved and intact dog mummies and other burials with grave goods, such as blankets and food, have been interpreted as pertaining to dogs that were considered to have had familial status. At the Inca site of Machu Picchu, dogs with no evidence that would indicate sacrifice have been found in mortuary contexts with and near individuals of apparent high status. [14]
Pulling
Some tribes utilized dogs for pulling travois. They pulled the game, tipi, and other items for their masters.
Religious Significance
In South America, several different cultures sacrificed dogs in religious ceremonies. At the site of Pachacamac in Peru, a popular place of pilgrimage and religious ritual best known for the presence of an oracle, archaeologists uncovered the burials of over a hundred dogs with physical signs of sacrifice. Dogs were sometimes considered to be psychopomps, guides to the afterlife, and were often buried with elite. The Peruvian hairless dog was believed to have supernatural abilities, such as the ability to see spirits, and was seen as a particularly good psychopomp. In Inca times, the dog was also heavily associated with the Moon and was sacrificed during lunar eclipses in order to bring the Moon back. [14]
Osages had a clan that shaved their children's heads in three tails, each to symbolize a canid: dog, coyote, and wolf. [15]
North America:
South America:
Caribbean:
Breeds falsely advertised as Native American-originated:
Breeds potentially having partial Native American origins:
Today, most Native American dog breeds have gone extinct, mostly replaced by dogs of European descent. [1] The few breeds that have been identified as Native American, such as the Inuit Sled Dog, the Eskimo Dog, the Greenland Dog and the Carolina Dog have remained mostly genetically unchanged since contact in the 15th century. [25]
Modern free-ranging dogs differ in origin from North to South America. In North America, the Carolina dog has mtDNA links to East Asian dogs, with a shared haplotype with the Shiba Inu in Japan. This suggests that it migrated to North America through Beringia, therefore making it a Native American dog. In South America, on the other hand, free-ranging dogs are almost entirely of European descent. [25]
In 2018, a study compared sequences of fossil North American dogs with fossil Siberian dogs and modern dogs. The study indicates that dogs entered North America from Siberia 4,500 years after humans did, were isolated for 9,000 years, and after contact with Europeans these no longer exist because they were replaced with Eurasian dogs. The pre-contact dogs exhibit a unique genetic signature that is also now gone, with their nearest living relative being the modern Arctic breed dogs originally introduced by the Inuit. [1]
A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size and shape, tail phenotype, fur type, etc, but are only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.
The Xoloitzcuintle is one of several breeds of hairless dog. It is found in standard, intermediate, and miniature sizes. The Xolo also comes in a coated variety, totally covered in fur. Coated and hairless can be born in the same litter as a result of the same combination of genes. The hairless variant is known as the Perro pelón mexicano or Mexican hairless dog. It is characterized by its wrinkles and dental abnormalities, along with a primitive temper. In Nahuatl, from which its name originates, it is xōlōitzcuintli (singular) and xōlōitzcuintin (plural). The name comes from the god Xolotl that, according to ancient narratives, is its creator and itzcuīntli, meaning 'dog' in the Nahuatl language.
A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in harness, most commonly a sled over snow.
The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance, to haul heavy freight as a sled dog, and as a hound. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed.
A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog with a gray wolf, eastern wolf, red wolf, or Ethiopian wolf to produce a hybrid.
Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that maintain arctic breed traits represent an ever-changing crossbreed of the fastest dogs.
The Peruvian Hairless Dog, Peruvian viringo, Peruvian Inca Orchid, naked dog, or Chimú dog is one of several breeds of hairless dog. Peruvian Hairless dogs were also called “perros Chinos” which translates directly to chinese dogs but was thought to have the meaning of “house-dogs” instead, as ”China” is a Quechua word for woman. The breed comes in a variety of sizes and colors, including chocolate-brown, elephant-grey, and copper. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures and require special care due to their lack of fur, including protection from the sun and cold. Historically, they have been associated with the Inca Empire and are officially recognized as part of Peru's cultural heritage.
The Greenland Dog is a large breed of husky-type dog kept as a sled dog. They were brought from Siberia to North America by the Thule people 1,000 years ago, along with the Canadian Eskimo Dog. The Canadian Eskimo Dog is considered the same breed as the Greenland Dog since they have not yet diverged enough genetically to be considered separate breeds, despite their geographic isolation.
The Canadian Eskimo Dog or Canadian Inuit Dog is a breed of working dog from the Arctic. Other names include qimmiq or qimmit. The Greenland Dog is considered the same breed as the Canadian Eskimo Dog since they have not yet diverged enough genetically to be considered separate breeds, despite their geographic isolation.
A coydog is a canid hybrid resulting from a mating between a male coyote and a female dog. Hybrids of both sexes are fertile and can be successfully bred through four generations. Similarly, a dogote is a hybrid with a dog father and a coyote mother.
The Carolina dog, also known as a yellow dog, yaller dog, American dingo, or Dixie dingo, is a breed of medium-sized dog occasionally found feral in the Southeastern United States, especially in isolated stretches of longleaf pines and cypress swamps. Efforts to establish them as a standardized breed have gained the Carolina Dog breed recognition in two smaller kennel clubs and full acceptance into the breed-establishment program of one major kennel club.
Canid hybrids are the result of interbreeding between the species of the subfamily Caninae.
The domestication of the dog was the process which led to the domestic dog. This included the dog's genetic divergence from the wolf, its domestication, and the emergence of the first dogs. Genetic studies suggest that all ancient and modern dogs share a common ancestry and descended from an ancient, now-extinct wolf population – or closely related wolf populations – which was distinct from the modern wolf lineage. The dog's similarity to the grey wolf is the result of substantial dog-into-wolf gene flow, with the modern grey wolf being the dog's nearest living relative. An extinct Late Pleistocene wolf may have been the ancestor of the dog.
Tamaskan dogs are a breed of dog that have been selectively bred to resemble a wolf or wolfdog. Although their exact origins are uncertain, these mixbreed dogs were primarily arctic breed crosses of Alaskan Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Canadian Eskimo Dog, German Shepherd, Labrador Husky, and Siberian Husky. Tamaskans are not recognized as a breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale but are recognized as a breed by the American Rare Breed Association.
The Hare Indian dog is an extinct domesticated canine; possibly a breed of domestic dog, coydog, or domesticated coyote; formerly found and originally bred in northern Canada by the Hare Indians for coursing. It had the speed and some characteristics of the coyote, and the domesticated temperament and other characteristics of a domestic dog. It gradually lost its usefulness as aboriginal hunting methods declined, and became extinct or lost its separate identity through interbreeding with dogs in the 19th century, though some claim the breed still exists in modified form.
The Chiribaya Dog or Peruvian Shepherd Dog is an extinct pre-Columbian breed of dog from the southwest of Peru. It has been established that it was a llama herding dog. The dogs were not only an important part of the social structure of the ancient Peruvians, but they received special treatment after death as well. The remains were 1,000 years old.
During the Pleistocene, wolves were widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Some Pleistocene wolves, such as Beringian wolves and those from Japan, exhibited large body size in comparison to modern gray wolf populations. Genetic analysis of the remains of Late Pleistocene wolves suggest that across their range populations of wolves maintained considerable gene flow between each other and thus there was limited genetic divergence between them. Modern wolves mostly draw their ancestry from some Siberian populations of Late Pleistocene gray wolves, which largely replaced other gray wolf populations after the Last Glacial Maximum.
It is widely agreed that the evolutionary lineage of the grey wolf can be traced back 2 million years to the Early Pleistocene species Canis etruscus, and its successor the Middle Pleistocene Canis mosbachensis. The grey wolf Canis lupus is a highly adaptable species that is able to exist in a range of environments and which possesses a wide distribution across the Holarctic. Studies of modern grey wolves have identified distinct sub-populations that live in close proximity to each other. This variation in sub-populations is closely linked to differences in habitat – precipitation, temperature, vegetation, and prey specialization – which affect cranio-dental plasticity.
The domestic dog was introduced to South America between 5,500 and 2,500 BCE from North America. They occupied the Andes region and spread into the Amazonian Basin relatively recently, in the 20th century. Today, very few of the original South American dogs remain, mostly replaced with introduced breeds from Eurasia.
The Alaskan husky is a breed of medium-sized working sled dog, developed specifically for its performance as such.
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