Dogs — From Wolf to Woof — Photo Gallery — National Geographic Magazine

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From Wolf to Woof

After wild dogs learned not to bite the hand that fed them, French poodles weren’t far behind.

/2002/01/dogs/img/01-wolf-maltese-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-01.jpg Canis familiaris. Humans transformed wild canids into the first domesticated animal—the tamable, trainable, incredibly variable dog. ]]> /2002/01/dogs/img/02-human-grave-dog-475.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-02.jpg
At the molecular level not much changed at all: The DNA makeup of wolves and dogs is almost identical.]]> /2002/01/dogs/img/03-dog-breeds-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-03.jpg Dogs (from left): Bullmastiff, Pomeranian, Old English sheepdog, poodle (miniature), Great Dane and Chihuahua (smooth), bulldog, greyhound, Doberman pinscher, dachsund (longhaired), Siberian husky]]> /2002/01/dogs/img/04-bulldog-skull-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-04.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/05-borzoi-skull-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-05.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/06-dog-art-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-06.jpg Epicyon, the size of a large wolf, attacks a horned herbivore. Nearby a pack of fox-size Eucyon surrounds an early peccary. As the climate cooled, Epicyon and others of the subfamily Borophaginae followed their large prey into extinction. Adaptable Eucyon, with teeth suited for eating both meat and plants, survived. ]]> /2002/01/dogs/img/07-wolf-art-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-07.jpg Eucyon species (bottom) migrated into the Old World, eventually evolving into wolves (top). About 800,000 years ago wolves crossed to Arctic North America. The dog's lineage began 37 million years ago in North America in predators that had distinctive pairs of shearing teeth and ran down prey. Early canids reached Europe seven million years ago, but it was Eucyon, moving west six to four million years ago, that gave rise to most modern canids, including wolves, coyotes, and jackals. ]]> /2002/01/dogs/img/11-man-dog-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-11.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/10-robo-dog-475.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-10.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/12-terriers-dog-show-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-12.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/13-girl-dog-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-13.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/14-maltese-manhattan-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-14.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/15-rancher-motorcycle-dog-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-15.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/16-dog-walker-city-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-16.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/17-dog-sniffer-mail-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-17.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/18-foxhounds-trailer-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-18.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/19-bulldog-vet-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-19.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/20-great-danes-show-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-20.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/21-whippet-patient-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-21.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/22-dog-paralyzed-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-22.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/23-dog-wheelchair-tent-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-23.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/24-dog-man-car-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-24.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/25-cadavear-dog-714.jpg /2002/01/dogs/img/dogs-60-25.jpg