Dogs have been man’s closest companion throughout history. Wherever there are humans, there are dogs right there alongside them. However, the date at which man first domesticated his canine pals is up for debate. However, we can get a good idea of when dogs were domesticated in the US thanks to a dog skeleton uncovered at a prehistoric human settlement. Researchers have discovered a domestic dog skeleton from 9,400 years ago; that’s the earliest confirmed domesticated dog in the Americas, but this dog wasn’t a pet.
“It just so happens this person who lived 9,400 years ago was eating dog,” said Samuel Belknap III, a University of Maine graduate student who came across the fragment of dog skeleton while examining a dried-out specimen of human waste at a prehistoric settlement unearthed in Southwest Texas.
That’s right, man’s best friend was also once man’s best snack. The skeleton of the dog was found at the bottom of an excrement pit and displayed the characteristic orange-brown color that bone turns when it passes through the human digestive system. Pets: they’re what’s for dinner!
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