What we know:
* Ancient Origins: Dogs are believed to have descended from wolves, with the split happening somewhere between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago. This is based on genetic comparisons between wolves and dogs.
* Fossil Evidence: The oldest known dog fossils are around 15,000 years old, found in Germany. These early dogs were smaller than wolves but likely still had similar features: a long snout, erect ears, and a bushy tail.
* Domestication Process: The early process of domestication involved selective breeding. Humans likely favored wolves that were less aggressive, more tolerant of humans, and perhaps more adaptable to living around humans. This selective breeding would have gradually changed the wolves' appearance.
What they probably looked like:
* Smaller than Wolves: Early dogs were likely smaller than wolves, but not as small as some modern breeds.
* Similar Features: They would have had similar features to wolves, with a long snout, erect ears, and a bushy tail.
* More Varied Coat Colors: Domestication could have led to more variation in coat colors compared to wolves.
It's important to remember:
* No Direct Evidence: We don't have any preserved remains of the very first dog, so it's impossible to say for certain what they looked like.
* Gradual Evolution: Domestication is a gradual process, so the first dogs likely wouldn't have looked drastically different from wolves.
Modern breeds are a result of thousands of years of selective breeding, which has resulted in the incredible diversity of dog breeds we see today.