A new study has found that a genetically homogeneous dog population was already widely distributed across Europe and Anatolia at least 14,300 years ago, pushing back the known timeline of the close relationship between humans and domesticated dogs. The findings suggest that dogs were actively exchanged among genetically and culturally distinct Western Eurasian Late Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer populations, indicating a degree of inter-group contact and trade previously underappreciated for this period. The research, reported by BBC News, implies that dog domestication and the subsequent spread of these animals across vast geographic regions occurred during or before the Late Palaeolithic era, well earlier than many prior estimates. The genetic homogeneity observed across such a wide range is particularly striking, as it points to a single, already-established dog population rather than multiple independent domestication events in the region. Researchers note that this distribution aligns with a period when human populations across Western Eurasia were themselves genetically distinct, making the widespread sharing of a common dog lineage a remarkable indicator of inter-community exchange networks. The study underscores the deep and complex bond between humans and dogs, suggesting that dogs may have played significant social or practical roles in hunter-gatherer societies long before the advent of agriculture. Source: BBC News (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0ky1n791go). Note: The primary peer-reviewed publication underpinning this report has not been independently verified from this source alone; methodology, sample size, and full limitations should be assessed in the original research paper.