The Arctic Circle have found the oldest purebred dogs

The Arctic Circle eight thousand years ago, the breeding of dogs and brought rock to modern standards of Siberian huskies.

Archaeologists working on the New Siberian Islands in the Arctic Ocean, between the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea - in particular, in the parking lot of ground hunters on the island Zhokhova. This place is one of the most northern archaeological sites of the world and the oldest traces of human presence in the high latitudes.

In this area, the dogs were domesticated, not only, but also to meet the standards of modern sled Siberian huskies, including the animal's body weight - 25 kilograms. In addition, the dog park Zhohovskoy lived to ripe, and some to old age, as evidenced by the skull of these animals with heavily worn dentition during the life of the system. Thus, people caring for aging animals.

Who, when and why of the first domesticated dog
Found during excavations sledges say that the dog is used to move, although there were more large individuals, which use most likely to hunt bear.

The remains found during excavations also allowed the restoration of the annual cycle of the people who lived in these places eight thousand years ago. Then the modern Siberian Islands were part of the land and the coast has a permanent camp, where, according to different estimates of scientists, lived from 25 to 50 people.

They practiced fishing reindeer and polar bears, and the production was all-season deer, bear and fishing was carried out mainly in the winter. Apparently, when hunting in the northern predator ancient humans perfected the skills of hunting brown bear, possessed of their ancestors who lived in the forest-tundra and taiga. Bear hunted for human consumption anywhere in the world traces of eating polar bears in such large numbers has not yet been found, archaeologists say.

The excavations on the island, scientists have identified at least five Zhokhova human individuals - four men and women, some of them are close relatives. Genetic research has shown that they belong to the group, which had a West Eurasian origin. The ancestors of these people have come here from the territory lying west - perhaps from the north of Western Siberia and the Urals. This population is preceded by any of today's ethnic groups, known in the area, - Yukagirs, nations Tungus group, Yakuts and Russian. They did not have to continue in the local population of later periods.