Dogs That Changed the World
Dogs That Changed the World is a two part PBS Nature documentary narrated by F. Murray Abraham, exploring
the 15,000-year-old relationship between dogs and humans and the evolution of wolves into the wide variety of dogs
we know today. From the tiniest Chihuahua to the powerful and massive English Mastiff, modern domesticated dogs come in
a bewildering array of shapes and sizes, with an equally diverse range of temperaments and behaviors. And yet,
according to genetics, all dogs evolved from the savage and wild wolf - in a transformation that occurred just 15,000 years ago.
The first episode "The Rise of the Dog" tells of how the domestication of dogs might have taken place.
Over 400 breeds of dog are recognized around the world, each unique for its personality, habits, and form. Most of
these breeds exploded onto the scene over the past 150 years, spurred by the Victorian-era passion for the "dog fancy" -
the selective breeding of dogs to enhance particular characteristics. By tinkering with its genetics, humans made
the dog the most varied animal species on the planet - and also created a host of hereditary health problems.
The second episode "Dogs by Design" tells of how "man's best friend" changed human society and how we in turn have
radically transformed dogs.
(from pbs.org)
| Episode 1 - The Rise of the Dog |
Episode 1 - The Rise of the Dog
This episode tells of how the domestication of dogs might have taken place, including the theory of biologist Raymond Coppinger that it was the animals themselves - and human trash - that inspired the transformation.
Episode 2 - Dogs by Design
This episode tells of how "man's best friend" changed human society and how we in turn have radically transformed dogs.
| Related Links |
| Dog - wikipedia The domestic dog is a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of the Canidae family of the mammalian order Carnivora. |
| And Man Created Dog And Man Created Dog is a National Geographic documentary that explores the genetic journey from wolf to dog. |
| Dog Decoded This film reveals the science behind the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs and investigates new discoveries in genetics that are illuminating the origin of dogs. |
| Doggedly Dependent: A Canine Story of Human Intervention and Form No other terrestrial species of animal is as diverse in its morphology as man's best friend, the dog. Today more than four hundred breeds of dogs are recognized worldwide. |
| Living with Wolves Filmmakers Jamie and Jim Dutcher spent six years in a tented camp in the wilderness of Idaho, living with a pack of wolves, listening to them and earning their trust. |
| Super Smart Animals This is a two-part BBC documentary series presented by Liz Bonnin, revealing that animals are a lot smarter than we thought. |
| Domestication and Human Evolution The domestication of other species has played an undeniably central role in the evolution of modern humans, and in our planetary dominance and success. |