Although initially thought to have originated as a manmade variant of an extant canid species (variously supposed as being the dhole, golden jackal, or gray wolf), extensive genetic studies undertaken during the 2010s indicate that dogs diverged from an extinct wolf-like canid in Eurasia 40,000 years ago. Being the oldest domesticated animal, their long association with people has allowed dogs to be uniquely attuned to human behavior, as well as thrive on a starch-rich diet which would be inadequate for other canid species. COUNT 5
QSN1 What decade had significant studies of dog genes to determine origins? ANS1 2010s QSN2 Testing revealed today's dogs trace back by how many years? ANS2 40,000 QSN3 What is the region where domesticated dogs ancestry traces to? ANS3 Eurasia QSN4 What type of diet can modern domesticated dogs thrive eating that other dogs cannot? ANS4 starch-rich QSN5 What was undertaken in 2010 to determine where dogs originated from? ANS5 extensive genetic studies