Newly recovered DNA from predator’s remains shows they share little genetic ancestry with domestic dogs and are descended from ancient dogs from China
Scientists have for the first time recovered DNA from the remains of dingoes between 400 and 2,700 years old to find the predator’s population was well established across the continent thousands of years ago.
Dingoes arrived in Australia between 3,000 and 8,000 years ago, the research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said, and probably came with Pacific traders on boats.Scientists gathered ancient DNA from the remains of dingoes held in museums, recovered from Indigenous sites around Sydney and from caves in South Australia and south-west Western Australia.
“I thought they were fresh samples, so I was really shocked,” said Wasef, who has done previous genetic work on Indigenous remains, Egyptian mummies and world war victims.“We have to respect these ancient remains because they are telling us a story,” she said. Dr Yassine Souilmi, of the University of Adelaide’s Australian Centre for Ancient DNA and Environment Institute and also a lead author of the study, said two genetically distinct groups also“We hope people making decisions about dingoes today now see these amazing animals have been around a long time, and had time to harmonise with the environment.”
Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at Curtin University, said: “There are thousands of caves and probably thousands of dingoes. Because it’s so dry they mummify, and are really well preserved as a result.
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