Dogs Waited 7,000 Years to Follow Farmers South, Study Shows

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Dogs first arrived in North America 15,000 years ago with early humans crossing from Siberia, but mysteriously disappeared from the trail south.

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Why did dogs wait 7,000 years to venture into Central and South America while humans pushed ahead? Oxford University scientists have solved this puzzle.

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By sequencing DNA from 70 ancient and modern dogs, researchers traced a remarkable pattern - all Central and South American dogs came from a single maternal lineage.

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Unlike their human companions who raced south, dogs spread slowly between 7,000-5,000 years ago - but what caused this delayed journey?

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The answer lies in corn. Dogs' migration perfectly matched the spread of maize farming across the Americas, revealing they needed settled agricultural communities to thrive.

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Tropical diseases, insects, parasites, and predators likely prevented dogs from following humans initially - until farming villages created safe havens for them.

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"This opens new research avenues on the relationship that existed between dogs and early agrarian societies," says Dr. Aurélie Manin, who led the Oxford study.

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When Europeans arrived, they brought dogs that nearly wiped out ancient American canine lineages - but one surprising breed still carries this ancient DNA.

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Modern Chihuahuas retain genetic traces from their pre-contact Mesoamerican ancestors - living links to dogs that helped shape ancient American agriculture.

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The study reveals dogs weren't just passive companions but integral to agricultural expansion - changing how we understand the ancient bond between humans and their oldest animal partners.

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