Parallel evolution between human and dog

It is believed that dogs began living with humans between 30,000 and 50,000 years ago. The question of when, where, and how dogs began living with humans is still debated and is one of the topics that fascinates researchers around the world. However, during this long history of cohabitation, dogs have undergone various changes, and today there are over 400 breeds of dogs in the world, making them the animal that has most successfully coexisted with human society. During this process of evolution and domestication, dogs acquired cognitive functions similar to those of humans and became able to communicate with humans through eye contact. They also changed their behavior and their nutritional metabolism systems, acquiring the ability to metabolize food resources similar to humans, i.e., omnivory. Genetic changes are thought to be behind these changes in metabolic function, and several responsible genes have been identified. However, the genes that enable dogs to live in harmony with humans have yet to be identified, such as candidate genes include oxytocin, which is associated with sociality, and cortisol, which is associated with aggression and anxiety. In this paper, we will review the research that has been done on the evolution and domestication of dogs, and we will present the genes that have made dogs special, and in particular, the functions of the genes that are thought to have evolved in parallel with humans.