Evolution of Dogs
About 60 million years ago, a rodent-like mammal finally caught a break. The dinosaurs had disappeared, making room for this small-brained, sharp-toothed animal to develop into new forms. Within 25 million years, a larger omnivore had evolved and then split into two distinct lins. The larger carniborous group vanished around 2.5 million years ago, but Leptocyon, with its thinner body, narrower dface and plant-mashing teeth, survived as the modern canine ancester.
About 12,000 years ago, the small gray wolf initiated an evolutionary path leading towards the modern dog. By 4500 BC, five basic canine “types” existed and included dogs resembling Mastiffs, Wolves, Greyhounds, Pointers and Sheepdogs. These groups quickly separated into thousands of different breeds, many developing alongside human companions. Although dogs todat differ in size, shape and color, they all share close genetic ties and remain members of a single species.