Biological and cultural history of domesticated dogs in the Americas

SEGURA V.; GEIGER M.; MONSON T.A.; FLORES D.; SÁNCHEZ-VILLAGRA M.R.

Anthropozoologica

BioOne

Lugar: París; Año: 2022

0761-3032

Animal domesticationhad a dramatic influence on the cultural evolution of human histories, and onthe biological evolution of domesticated species. Domestic dogs occurredearlier in the Americas than other domesticated animals. Older records in thecontinent come from North America, dating as 11,000-8,400 ybp, and in the Andesfrom 5,600-5,000 ybp. In order to present an overview of human-dog interactionin the Americas, and to identify gaps in the knowledge, we reviewed 178publications on zooarchaeological record of burials, genetics, morphology, andethnological information of American dogs, revisiting the history andinteractions across the continent. There is no evidence of an in-situ doginitial domestication. Pre-Columbian diversity in North America includes atleast three varieties, whereas in South America six varieties were documented.Historical descriptions of phenotypes (e.g. humped dog) may represent anexpression associated with mutations. We find that archaeological, historical,and ethnographic records reveal non-traditional uses and hybridizations withother canids. For example, the Coast Salish people exploited woolly dogs formanufacturing blankets. Dog acquisition by some Amazonian cultures begantowards the end of the nineteenth century. Overall more than 41 dog breedsoriginated in the Americas and are currently recognized by kennel clubs. Themain gap in knowledge points to the relationships between American breeds,local hybridizations, migratory routes of dogs following Indigenous peoples?social networks, historical-cultural contexts, and quantification ofmorphological diversity. North and Central American dogshave been more intensively studied than those from the Amazon regions orPatagonia. We find that the history of domestication in the Americas is farfrom simple and integrative studies are needed.