A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that man's best friend lived alongside humans far earlier than previously believed.
The study was detailed in a University College London (UCL) press release March 26.
The findings centered around ancient DNA found at archaeological sites in the United Kingdom and Turkey, including Gough's Cave in Somerset, England.
Researchers were initially unsure if the skeletons were dogs or wolves because they would have been "indistinguishable," the release said.
The team sequenced DNA from the ancient remains and compared it with more than 1,000 dogs and wolves worldwide, confirming the animals were early domestic dogs.
The DNA dates to the Late Upper Palaeolithic period and is between 14,000 and 16,000 years old.
Previous studies showed that ancient dogs lived alongside humans 10,000 years ago, but the new findings push the timeline back 5,000 years.
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