On May 12, 2014, at 12:13 PM, Phil Pugliese (via tml list) <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

>
> So then when the Ancients showed up & took humans they naturally were also interested in their 'companions', discovered how easy it was to 'manipulate' them, & took them too.
>
> Or did the ancients come before canid domestication?
>

Canon says that Gramps came by ~ 350KYA, which is a little early for modern Homo sapiens. Probably Gramps harvested some H.heidelbergensis, Neanderthals or Denisovians.

This is probably too early for domesticated dogs, but the fossil and archaeologic record is sparse, to say the least.

DNA evidence is mixed. See <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaic_human_admixture_with_modern_humans>

In particular note that diagram showing the linkages between H. heidelbergensis, Neanderthals, Denisovians and modern H. sapiens. Gramps arrived right about where that really wide part above the label ‘heidelbergensis’. Note also that older lineages (H. floriensis, H. erectus) still survived then.

Gramps had a whole buffet of hominids to choose from. Undoubtedly he took as wide a selection as he could.

--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs