Since their emergence over 200,000 years ago, modern humans have established homes and communities all over the planet. But they didn’t do it alone. Whatever corner of the globe you find homo sapiens in today, you’re likely to find another species nearby: Canis lupus familiaris. Whether they’re herding, hunting, sledding, or slouching the sheer variety of domestic dogs is staggering. But what makes the story of man’s best friend so surprising is that they all evolved from a creature often seen as one of our oldest rivals: Canis lupus, or the gray wolf.
Od kad su se pojavili pre više od 200 000 godina, moderni ljudi su osnivali domove i zajednice širom planete. Ali, oni to nisu radili sami. U kojoj god oblasti zemljine kugle danas nađete homo sapiensa, verovatno je da ćete naći i drugu vrstu u blizini: Canis lupus familiaris. Bilo da čuvaju stado, love, vuku sanke ili leškare, sama raznolikost domaćih pasa je zapanjujuća. Ono što čini priču čovekovog najboljeg prijatelja toliko iznenađujućom je to što su svi oni evoluirali od stvorenja za koje se često smatra da je naš najstariji protivnik: Canis lupus, ili sivi vuk.
When our Paleolithic ancestors first settled Eurasia roughly 100,000 years ago, wolves were one of their main rivals at the top of the food chain. Able to exert over 300 lbs. of pressure in one bone-crushing bite and sniff out prey more than a mile away, these formidable predators didn’t have much competition. Much like human hunter-gatherers, they lived and hunted in complex social groups consisting of a few nuclear families, and used their social skills to cooperatively take down larger creatures. Using these group tactics, they operated as effective persistence hunters, relying not on outrunning their prey, but pursuing it to the point of exhaustion.
Kad su naši preci iz doba paleolita prvi put naselili Evroaziju pre oko 100 000 godina, vukovi su bili njihovi glavni protivnici na vrhu lanca ishrane. Sposobni da izvrše pritisak od preko 136 kg u jednom ugrizu i da nanjuše plen na kilometar i po i više, ovi strašni predatori nisu imali puno konkurencije. Poput ljudi lovaca-sakupljača, živeli su i lovili u kompleksnim društvenim grupama koje su se sastojale od nekoliko nuklearnih porodica, i koje su koristile društvene veštine da zajedno poraze veća stvorenja. Koristeći ove grupne taktike, funkcionisali su kao efektivni istrajni lovci, ne oslanjajući se na prestizanje svog plena, nego na jurenje plena do trenutka njegove iscrpljenosti.
But when pitted against the similar strengths of their invasive new neighbors, wolves found themselves at a crossroads. For most packs, these bourgeoning bipeds represented a serious threat to their territory. But for some wolves, especially those without a pack, human camps offered new opportunities. Wolves that showed less aggression towards humans could come closer to their encampments, feeding on leftovers. And as these more docile scavengers outlasted their aggressive brethren, their genetic traits were passed on, gradually breeding tamer wolves in areas near human populations.
Ali kad su se suprotstavili sličnoj snazi njihovog novog nasrtljivog suseda, vukovi su morali da donesu odluku. Za većinu čopora, ovi napredni dvonogaši su predstavljali opasnu pretnju njihovoj teritoriji. Ali za neke vukove, naročito one bez čopora, ljudski kampovi su nudili nove prilike. Vukovi koji su pokazali manje agresije prema ljudima su mogli da priđu bliže njihovim logorima i da se hrane njihovim ostacima. A kako su ovi pitomiji lešinari nadživeli svoju agresivniju braću, njihova genetska svojstva su se prenosila, i postepeno su se stvorili pitomiji vukovi u oblastima blizu ljudske populacije.
Over time humans found a multitude of uses for these docile wolves. They helped to track and hunt prey, and might have served as sentinels to guard camps and warn of approaching enemies. Their similar social structure made it easy to integrate with human families and learn to understand their commands. Eventually they moved from the fringes of our communities into our homes, becoming humanity’s first domesticated animal.
Tokom vremena, ljudi su pronašli mnogo koristi za ove pitome vukove. Pomagali su u praćenju i lovljenju plena, i možda su služili kao čuvari logora i upozoravali na neprijatelje koji bi se približavali. Njihova slična društvena struktura je olakšala integraciju sa ljudima i razumevanje njihovih komandi. Na kraju su se preselili sa periferija naših zajednica u naše domove, postavši prva čovekova pripitomljena životinja.
The earliest of these Proto-Dogs or Wolf-Dogs, seem to have appeared around 33,000 years ago, and would not have looked all that different from their wild cousins. They were primarily distinguished by their smaller size and a shorter snout full of comparatively smaller teeth. But as human cultures and occupations became more diverse and specialized, so did our friends. Short stocky dogs to herd livestock by nipping their heels; elongated dogs to flush badgers and foxes out of burrows; thin and sleek dogs for racing; and large, muscular dogs for guard duty. With the emergence of kennel clubs and dog shows during England’s Victorian era, these dog types were standardized into breeds, with many new ones bred purely for appearance. Sadly, while all dog breeds are the product of artificial selection, some are healthier than others. Many of these aesthetic characteristics come with congenital health problems, such as difficulty breathing or being prone to spinal injuries.
Ovi najraniji prvobitni psi ili hibridi vuka i psa su se pojavili pre oko 33 000 godina, i nisu izgledali toliko drugačije od svojih divljih rođaka. Prvobitno su se razlikovali po svojoj manjoj veličini i kraćoj njušci punoj srazmerno manjih zuba. Kako su ljudske kulture i zanimanja postajala različitija i specijalizovanija, to su postajali i naši prijatelji. Kratki zdepasti psi su živeli sa krdima stoke i vodili računa o njima; izduženi psi su isterivali jazavce i lisice iz jazbina; mršavi i brzi su bili zaduženi za trkanje; a veliki, mišićavi psi za stražarenje. Sa pojavom uzgajivačnica i izložbi pasa tokom viktorijanskog doba, ove vrste pasa su standardizovane u rase, sa mnogo novih stvorenih isključivo zbog prikazivanja. Nažalost, iako su sve rase pasa proizvod veštačke selekcije, neke su zdravije od ostalih. Mnoge estetske karakteristike dolaze sa urođenim zdravstvenim problemima, kao što su poteškoće sa disanjem ili sklonost ka povredama kičme.
Humanity’s longest experiment in controlled evolution has had other side effects as well. Generations of selection for tameness have favored more juvenile and submissive traits that were pleasing to humans. This phenomenon of selecting traits associated with youth is known as neoteny, and can be seen in many domestic animals. Thousands of years of co-evolution may even have bonded us chemically. Not only can canines understand our emotions and body language, but when dogs and humans interact, both our bodies release oxytocin; a hormone commonly associated with feelings of love and protectiveness.
Najduži eksperiment ljudskog roda u kontrolisanoj evoluciji imao je i druge nuspojave. Generacije pitomih selekcija su davale prednost mladalačkim i pokornijim osobinama koje su bile zadovoljavajuće za ljude. Fenomen biranja osobina koje su u vezi sa mladošću je poznat kao neotenija i može se primetiti kod mnogih pripitomljenih životinja. Hiljade godina koevolucije su nas možda i povezale hemijski. Psi ne samo da mogu da razumeju naše emocije i govor tela, nego i kad ljudi i psi interaguju, i jedni i drugi ispuštaju oksitocin; hormon često povezivan sa osećajem ljubavi i zaštićenosti.
It might be difficult to fathom how every Pomeranian, Chihuahua, and Poodle are descended from fierce wolves. But the diversity of breeds today is the result of a relationship that precedes cities, agriculture, and even the disappearance of our Neanderthal cousins. And it’s heartening to know that given enough time, even our most dangerous rivals can become our fiercest friends.
Možda je teško dokučiti kako su svaki pomeranac, čivava i pudla potomci svirepih vukova. Raznolikost rasa danas je rezultat veze koja prethodi gradovima, poljoprivredi, čak i nestanku naših neandertalnih rođaka. Ohrabrujuće je znati da, ako se da dovoljno vremena, čak i naši najopasniji neprijatelji mogu postati naši najvatreniji prijatelji.