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“A lively tale of dog domestication and migration.”―Nature
“When, where, and how did the partnership between dogs and humans begin? Was it an accident? Was it inevitable?…A tour de force drawing together under one proverbial roof what science can tell us to date.”―Wendy Williams, author of The Horse
“Makes a remarkable story out of the long partnership between humans and dogs.”―Foreword Reviews
How did the dog become man’s best friend? A celebrated anthropologist unearths the mysterious origins of the unique partnership that rewrote the history of both species.
Dogs and humans have been inseparable for more than 40,000 years. So what have they taught one another? Determined to untangle the genetic and archaeological evidence of the first dogs, Pat Shipman follows the trail of the wolf-dog, neither prehistoric wolf nor modern dog, whose bones offer tantalizing clues about the earliest stages of domestication. She considers the enigma of the dingo, not quite domesticated yet not entirely wild, and reveals how scientists are shedding new light on the origins of the unique relationship between man and dog, explaining how dogs became our guardians, playmates, shepherds, hunters, and providers. Along the way, dogs have changed physically, behaviorally, and emotionally―but we have been transformed, too. A brilliant work of historical reconstruction, Our Oldest Companions shows that we can’t hope to understand our own species without recognizing the central role dogs have played in making us who we are.
A fascinating and often surprising exploration of human and canine evolution...[Shipman's] captivating prose will enchant all readers seeking to learn more about humans, dogs, and our long history together.--Adrienne Krone "Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture" (6/20/2023 12:00:00 AM)
When, where, and how did the partnership between dogs and humans begin? Was it an accident? Was it inevitable? Where would we human beings be without our canine colleagues? Pat Shipman's Our Oldest Companions is a must-read, a tour de force drawing together under one proverbial roof what science can tell us to date. A follow-up to her provocative and intriguing The Invaders, Dr. Shipman examines the anthropology and archeology of the dog's transition from wolf to house pet all over the world, from the Australian Outback to north of the Arctic Circle. You'll want to read this book three, four, even five times in order to absorb the abundance of research and ideas presented here.--Wendy Williams, author of The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion
[A] lively tale of dog domestication and migration.--Josie Glausiusz "Nature" (11/25/2021 12:00:00 AM)
The erudite Our Oldest Companions makes a remarkable story out of the long partnership between humans and dogs.-- "Foreword Reviews" (11/1/2021 12:00:00 AM)
The latest in a string of authoritative and readable books by Pat Shipman benefits from her well-known scientific knowledge and her great storytelling ability. One of the first times anyone has told how the evidence from archaeology and DNA of Sahul, with its late-appearing dingoes and singing dogs, adds to the human story rather than seeming anomalous. It is the perfect complement to other accounts written with a bias towards Africa, Asia, or Europe. This book, like the dogs that are at its center, covers all the continents where modern people have lived with them. Read it. You will enjoy it.--Iain Davidson, author of Making Scenes: Global Perspectives on Scenes in Rock Art
This book is a great read for anyone interested in dogs but is overall of a high enough quality for scholars to enjoy. Shipman explores the genetic, behavioral, and archaeological studies revealing the development of the companion relationship between people and dogs, and brings the human and canid settlement of the Australian region into a global context.--Susan O'Connor, author of Transcending the Culture-Nature Divide in Cultural Heritage
