You have a time machine. You go back 15 and a half thousand years ago. So people have dogs? Are they fed what people eat and are they buried alongside their humans? We need answers to these burning doggy questions!
Starting off 2026 in a highly porcine manner. The story dropped on Jan 1 when a lot of the planet was focussed more on a hangover cure (myself included), than on the latest in human-pig research. Huge congrats to the dozens of amazing scientists and hooray for pigs! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Genomic and morphometric evidence for Austronesian-mediated pig translocation in the Pacific
Several millennia of human-mediated translocation of non-native pig species (genus Sus) to the islands of Wallacea and Oceania have considerably altered local ecosystems. To investigate the timing and...
science.org
What's that? 5 ancient doggy papers in 10 days is too many dogs? Can I interest you in some cats? Perhaps a complete retelling of cat domestication, dispersal, and replacement across Eurasia? As you wish! Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Cell Genomics www.cell.com/cell-genomic...
The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago
The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat Felis lybica lybica. Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments. Unc...
science.org
A PNAS Special Feature exclusively about dogs? Woof! Here are 3 of the 8 that we were involved with. Congrats to @lachiescarsbrook.bsky.social & @undeaddandy.bsky.social Dingoes! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... German Shepherds! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... Imputation! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Imputation of ancient canid genomes reveals inbreeding history over the past 10,000 years | PNAS
The multi-millennia-long history between dogs and humans has placed them at the forefront of archaeological and genomic research. Despite ongoing e...
pnas.org
In the immortal words of Sir Mix-a-Lot: "And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh". 2 doggy papers are so much better than 1. Both studies a testament to slow science & international collaboration between brilliant people. What it's all about. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The emergence and diversification of dog morphology
Dogs exhibit an exceptional range of morphological diversity as a result of their long-term association with humans. Attempts to identify when dog morphological variation began to expand have been con...
science.org
What's that? The story of East Asian pig domestication as told through ancient DNA? Yes please! Congrats to everyone on such a fantastic and overdue story! Pigs are so great. doi.org/10.1093/molb...
Ancient Genomics Reveals the Origin, Dispersal, and Human Management of East Asian Domestic Pigs
Abstract. Pigs are the most commercially important modern livestock animal in East Asia. Numerous aspects of their domestication history remain unclear, ho
doi.org
The sessions are co-organised by: @gregerlarson.bsky.social @elliecat.bsky.social @mishaploid.bsky.social @makenziemabryphd.bsky.social @johnneddermeyer.bsky.social @frozen-zoo.bsky.social @undeaddandy.bsky.social & Jennifer Meadows Evangelos Dimopoulos
Interested in giving a talk at the Plant and Animal Genome conference (PAG 33) in San Diego? Together with several colleagues, we are arranging 5 interconnected sessions. To submit an abstract, please fill out this Google Form before Oct 12th, 2025: forms.gle/q7j275Di6umY...
So it turns out that "small-island populations can provide long-term insurance against human-driven extinction". And as a result, "conservation efforts should prioritize habitat management over translocations". Super fun new paper from Aninta et al.! www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10....
pnas.org
Dogs? Dogs dogs dogs. South American dogs? Ancient South American dogs? Lots and lots of Ancient South American Dogs! Huge effort by so many great people! royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org
Then, Greger and Beth performed an original song entitled: MFaDNA youtu.be/Z62RTsgpHc4
MFaDNA
YouTube video by Greger Larson
youtu.be
Greger Larson and Beth Shapiro were asked to roast the field of ancient DNA at a conference in Stockholm on May 29, 2025. First, a spoken work guide to help you know if you work in the field. youtu.be/zSwmq0DUa8U
You Work in Ancient DNA
YouTube video by Greger Larson
youtu.be
Uh oh. What's this? Two unabashed extroverts given guitars and a remit to roast the field of ancient DNA? Sounds like trouble. One can only hope that if there is video footage, the people responsible have the good sense not to upload it for public viewing. No one wants to see this!
Dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs. Dogs? Dogs! www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Wolf to woof: Did we make dogs? - ABC listen
The relationship between humans and big scary wolves has come a long way to give us tiny fluffy lap dogs with very discerning tastes in expensive food. Whose idea was it? Was it the wolves who wanted...
abc.net.au
You know what the world absolutely does not need? Yet another definition for domestication. Get over yourselves people. C'mon! Ok, maybe just one more. So much fun working with @elinork.bsky.social, Kathryn and Robin. www.pnas.org/doi/full/10....
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
pnas.org
It’s here! Find out what we’ve been up to for the last 4 years #archaeology #earlymodern #shakespeare #boxofficebears
Archaeobears@archaeobears.bsky.social · last yr.🎉We’re delighted that our first major #BoxOfficeBears paper is published Open Access today in @antiquityj.bsky.social What do we know about the 🐻 and 🐶 that lived on Bankside? How big were they? What did they eat? How long did they live?🧵 of key findings below! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
More dog chat! Ella Al-Shamahi and I had a blast chatting about dogs and evolution and love and lots more. Enjoy our episode of the Why Do We Do That podcast on Radio 4 BBC sounds: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... And the director's cut here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
BBC Radio 4 - Why Do We Do That?, Series 2, 4. Why do we love dogs?
Ella Al-Shamahi asks why do we love dogs?
bbc.co.uk
It is impossible to get tired of talking about dogs and domestication. What a thrill to chat with Danny Nucci and Jason Burns on their What About... podcast. Enjoy all the serious silliness here: thewhataboutpodcast.com/2025/02/13/w...
What About... Artificial Selection w/Greger Larson
Danny and Jason put their best traits forward in a conversation with evolutionary geneticist Greger Larson on the topic of ARTIFICIAL SELECTION.
thewhataboutpodcast.com
Good day for zombies! Braaiiiinnnsssss! doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
Who loves ancient DNA and domestication? We do we do! Congrats to Lachie Scarsbrook on this super fun review. Lots more to come! doi.org/10.1016/B978...