Iowa City, Iowa — It’s said dogs are a man’s best friend, but for how long? A University of Iowa anthropologist says canines have been companions to humankind for perhaps 22-thousand years.
U of I Professor Matt Hill delivered a public lecture recently on the ever-evolving relationship between people and their pooches. Hill says he understands why many dog owners don’t even like to call themselves “owners” anymore, rather, they’re “pet parents.”
Hill is studying the origins of Native North American dogs and their roles in our lives over millennia. Ancient people who lived in what’s now Iowa had canine companions much as we still do in the modern industrial society, though there’s been a significant change in the past century.
Dogs are now of great importance in our daily lives, he says, moving from being a humble pet to absolutely being included in formal family photos and a stocking on the fireplace mantle at Christmas.
While humankind has evolved in myriad ways over the past 22-thousand years, we’ve also manipulated the DNA of dogs to suit us.
Those tiny teacup-sized critters some women carry in their purses? That’s nothing new, Hill says, as weensie lapdogs date back to Roman times, perhaps even further.
