Why Dogs Still Surprise Scientists: teacher key

Dogs, grade 11 edition, written for 11th grade. Dogs came from wolves, yet the where and when are still argued. Weigh the genetic clues, the raised wolves, the nose and the bred health problems.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Why could none of the wolves in the 2013 study be named the dog ancestor?
   • The wolves compared were all equally related to dogs (answer)
   • Dogs came from foxes
   • They were all too small to compare
2. What did the 2020 ancient wolf genomes suggest about where dogs were domesticated?
   • In the west only
   • On a ship
   • In the east (answer)
3. What might hide a match between dog ancestry and living wolves?
   • Wolf genes blend across continents (answer)
   • Dogs have no genes
   • Wolves changed color
4. What did the Wolf Science Center wolves keep, even after seven years with scientists?
   • A love of toys
   • A fear of snow
   • An independence of mind and behavior that dogs do not (answer)
5. Why did the Duke authors say time with people did not explain the puppy results?
   • The wolf puppies were older
   • The wolf puppies had near-constant human contact and were hand-fed (answer)
   • The wolf puppies were fed less
6. What did a veterinary professor argue should happen before breeding?
   • Fitness grading of dogs (answer)
   • More flat faces
   • No vet visits

Words

• domestication: taming over time
• genomes: full gene sets
• hypothesis: a testable idea
• turbinates: scroll-like bones
• brachycephalic: short-skulled