Question: Hi Nathan, whats the difference between wolves and dogs?

Nathan Clarke answered on 20 Jun 2018:

Thanks for the question. I really like this one because I find the differences and similarities between wolves and dogs fascinating – they are a modern-day example of the power of evolution. So, to get to your question! Wolves and dogs are MASSIVELY different in terms of their appearance and characteristics (think of a little teacup dog compared to a St. Bernard!). This variety came about because of ‘selective breeding’, where people made sure that dogs with qualities they wanted had puppies. BUT, dogs are part of the same species as wolves and can still breed. Humans have been breeding dogs for thousands of years. There’s a theory that dogs ‘domesticated themselves’ because they found being near humans so useful (feeding off of scraps from our kills). Dogs and wolves are part of the same genus (a group of species) as foxes and jackals. But genetic evidence suggests that dogs are ONLY descended from wolves – that’s super interesting. It really helps us to use our imagination to see what changes would be possible over huge periods of time. It certainly helps me to understand how, given enough time, we could go from single cells to humans. I also find it very interesting that hyenas look a lot like dogs – but they’re actually more closely related to cats! Never judge a dog by its cover 🙂