This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Abroad from the KU Centers for East Asian Studies and Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.

It’s common knowledge that today's dogs, from Poodles to Chihuahuas, are believed to have descended from wild wolves domesticated by humans in prehistoric times. But when and where this took place has been a matter of debate. Genetic information from a 35,000-year-old wolf bone found below a frozen cliff in Siberia is shedding new light on canine domestication, showing that it may have occurred earlier than previously thought. Instead of 11,000 years ago, scientists now believe that the domestication of dogs began in Russia as far back as 40,000 years ago. Given this long and enduring interspecies connection of mutual love and respect, it seems more inexplicable than ever why it’s so difficult to teach our dogs to stay off the couch. But, then again, our Siberian ancestors didn’t have couches.

With thanks to Adrienne Landry for this text, from the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.