The Digester

A 2022 60 Minutes report traces how genetic changes that reduced fear and boosted sociability helped wolves become today’s dogs, a process that began at least 20,000 years ago and was later shaped by human breeding.

Dogs split from wolves at least 20,000 years ago during the hunter-gatherer era.
Genetic comparisons show mutations in early dogs that lowered fear and stress responses and increased sociability with humans.
The Russian fox domestication experiment produced similar behavioral and genetic changes, supporting selection for tameness as a pathway to domestication.
After initial domestication, humans later selected for many physical and behavioral traits, producing the wide range of modern dog breeds.

How "Friendliness Mutations" Turned Wolves into Dogs

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