A recent study published in Science on November 14, provides new insights into the parallel migration patterns of dogs and humans across Eastern Eurasia during the Holocene. Through analysis of 73 ancient dog genomes—including 17 newly sequenced specimens—the research demonstrates how canine ancestry shifts correlate with major human migrations over the past 10,000 years.

Prof.WANG Guodong from the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KIZ) and other collaborating institutions, examined genetic samples from archaeological sites spanning Siberia to Northwest China. Their findings reveal that dogs accompanied various human groups—including Ancient Paleo-Siberians, Eastern hunter-gatherers, and Steppe pastoralists—during key cultural transitions.

The study has, for the first time, utilized ancient genomic evidence to discover that during the Holocene, multiple domestic dog populations across Eurasia—such as ancient Eurasian steppe dogs and ancient northern East Asian dogs—experienced several events of population admixture and replacement. More importantly, by comparing these findings with human ancient genomic data and evidence, the team revealed that the multiple admixture events in dogs highly coincide with repeated human migrations.

The genomic evidence indicates that dogs were not merely passive companions but integral components of human migratory packages. Their dispersal patterns reflect both shared journeys with human groups and independent exchanges between communities, particularly among hunter-gatherer societies in northern latitudes.

This research not only establishes a foundational framework for understanding animal domestication dynamics and highlights the value of comparative ancient genomics in reconstructing historical human-animal relationships. But also offers new perspectives on how domesticated species shaped—and were shaped by—human civilization patterns across millennia.

Schematic Diagram of the Co-dispersal of Domestic Dogs and Humans on the Eurasian