The Friends of Charles Darwin

All 300 domestic purebred dog breeds fall into one of 10 major groupings, scientists have told a US conference. A study of genetics and even historical records has revealed how close the breeds are to each other and the order in which they emerged over millennia … Virtually all modern purebred dogs are thought to have evolved from just a handful of grey wolves in Asia about 15,000 years ago. Pressed into the service of humans, they were bred to bring out traits that would help them fulfil certain roles, such as hunting and guarding. Today, Canis familiaris, to give it its formal scientific name, shows more variation in shape, size, colour and behaviour than any other mammal on the planet.