Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution
From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, an eye-opening work no dog lover or ancestry aficionado should be without.

How did wolves evolve into dogs? When did this happen, and what role did humans play? Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes used the full array of modern technology to explore the canine genetic journey when our ancestors first learned to hunt together with wolves. In the process, he discovered that only a handful of genes have created the huge range of shapes, sizes, and colors in modern dogs. Providing insight into these adaptive stages in “prose both scientific and poetic” (Booklist), Once a Wolf also focuses attention on how human evolution was enhanced by this most improbable ally. Whether examining our obsession with canine purity or delving into the prehistoric past to answer the most fundamental question of all—Why do we love our dog so much?—this book is “a must read for anybody who has ever wondered about the origins of human’s best friend” (Library Journal).

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Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution
From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, an eye-opening work no dog lover or ancestry aficionado should be without.

How did wolves evolve into dogs? When did this happen, and what role did humans play? Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes used the full array of modern technology to explore the canine genetic journey when our ancestors first learned to hunt together with wolves. In the process, he discovered that only a handful of genes have created the huge range of shapes, sizes, and colors in modern dogs. Providing insight into these adaptive stages in “prose both scientific and poetic” (Booklist), Once a Wolf also focuses attention on how human evolution was enhanced by this most improbable ally. Whether examining our obsession with canine purity or delving into the prehistoric past to answer the most fundamental question of all—Why do we love our dog so much?—this book is “a must read for anybody who has ever wondered about the origins of human’s best friend” (Library Journal).

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Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution

Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution

by Bryan Sykes
Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution

Once a Wolf: The Science Behind Our Dogs' Astonishing Genetic Evolution

by Bryan Sykes

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Overview

From the best-selling author of The Seven Daughters of Eve, an eye-opening work no dog lover or ancestry aficionado should be without.

How did wolves evolve into dogs? When did this happen, and what role did humans play? Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes used the full array of modern technology to explore the canine genetic journey when our ancestors first learned to hunt together with wolves. In the process, he discovered that only a handful of genes have created the huge range of shapes, sizes, and colors in modern dogs. Providing insight into these adaptive stages in “prose both scientific and poetic” (Booklist), Once a Wolf also focuses attention on how human evolution was enhanced by this most improbable ally. Whether examining our obsession with canine purity or delving into the prehistoric past to answer the most fundamental question of all—Why do we love our dog so much?—this book is “a must read for anybody who has ever wondered about the origins of human’s best friend” (Library Journal).


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781631496615
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication date: 04/07/2020
Pages: 304
Sales rank: 594,935
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Bryan Sykes, professor of human genetics at Oxford University, pioneered the use of DNA in exploring the human past. He is the author of Saxons, Vikings, and Celts and the New York Times bestseller The Seven Daughters of Eve.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Lupa 1

2 Darwin's Dilemma 10

3 I Met a Traveller from an Antique Land 13

4 On the Origin of Wolves 22

5 The Living Fossil 25

6 Let the Bones Speak 31

7 The Cave of Forgotten Dreams 39

8 Hunting with Wolves 51

9 Why Didn't Shaun Ellis Get Eaten by Wolves? 56

10 Friend or Foe? 64

11 A Touch of Evil 70

12 The Basic Framework 76

13 We See the First Dogs 85

14 The Studbook of Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks 94

15 The Emergence of Modern Breeds 100

16 The Dog Genome 110

17 The Genetics of Pedigree Breeds 116

18 The Dance of Life 125

19 At the Heart of the Matter 136

20 In the Lab 162

21 The Scientist Who Came in from the Cold 171

22 The Autumn Muster 177

23 The Girl Who Talks with Dogs 185

24 Born Again: Cloning Your Dog 246

25 Beyond the Reach of Reason 255

Acknowledgements 261

References 263

Picture Credits 273

Index 275

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