The best I can give you is around 12 or 13,000 years ago.
我能给出的最准确时间是一万两三千年前
We start seeing the first things
那是业内公认的时间点 从那之后的
that everybody would accept as being domestic dogs.
(化石)都被认为是可以用这一标准来判断区分
But mitochondrial DNA offered a different set of clues.
线粒体DNA提供了另一条线索
The original genetic data that were coming
在原始基因中得到的信息来判断
out seemed to suggest that domestication was happening on
犬类动物的驯化很早就开始了
a far earlier timescale than was
这个进程时间比考古学记录
suggested by anything in the archaeological record.
所显示的时间要早得多
The first dates that were coming out were on the order of 100,000
最早的驯化基因 要追溯到10万年前
years or more, which a lot
或许更早 这使得
of archaeologists raised their eyebrows at.
很多考古学家难以置信
It's hotly debated exactly when dogs were domesticated,
关于狗是何时起被驯化有过很激烈的争论
But there's one thing archaeologists and geneticists agree on:
但有一点是考古学家和遗传学家都承认的:
Our relationship with dogs goes back
我们与狗狗的关系比起其他宠物
thousands of years further than with any other pet.
早了上千年之久
It was a time when we were still hunter-gatherers.
那还是人类依然靠捕猎为生的时代
Dogs were certainly the first animal
狗狗肯定是第一种被驯养的动物
to be domesticated, and they fit into hunting and
因为他们很适合捕猎
gathering societies probably
他们集群活动的特性可能
better than any other species out there.
比那时任何其他物种都要好