However, with this new data, acceptance will probably be greater. The picture is much more detailed,' Savolainen said.

The point in time when the dog emerged is well in line with the point when the population of this part of the world changed from hunting and gathering to farming as a way of life - 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.

This research indicates that the dog has only one geographical origin, but is descended from a large number of animals. At least several hundred tame wolves, probably even more, Savolainen said.

'Considering that it involved so many wolves, this indicates that this event was important and a major part of the culture,' he asserted, according to a KTH release.

Thes results have been published in Molecular Biology and Evolution.