Dogs Have Been Man’s Best Friend for Thousands of Years    [10-02-2012] For as long as people can remember, dogs have been thought of as “man’s best friend.” It seems that a recent discovery in Siberia and Belgium proves this notion. Scientists have found skulls of dogs that each show to be at least 30,000 years old. This proves that dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, long before sheep, cows, goats, or horses. The skulls of the pair of dogs had shorter snouts and wider jaws compared to wild animals. Wolves, for example, use their long snouts to hunt. This observation suggests that dogs were used for companionship and protection. The scientists used carbon dating to determine the age of the dog bones. The scientists said the domestication of dogs was very different from the domestication of other animals like cows, sheep, goats, and horses. Animals with hooves have been domesticated for the food that they produce or the meat they can provide. Secondary agricultural products such as milk, cheese, and wool were also made from the animals. But the relationship humans have with dogs is deeper. Dogs have provided protection, companionship, and help when hunting.     출처: 어린이 영자신문 키즈타임즈 (www.kidstimes.net)