Thus, the archaeological evidence suggests that the latest dogs could have diverged from wolves was roughly 15000 years ago, although it is possible that they diverged much earlier.^[3]

DNA studies have provided a wider range of possible divergence dates, from 15,000 to 40,000 years ago,^[20] to as much as 100,000 to 140,000 years ago.^[23] This evidence depends on a number of assumptions that may be violated.^[3] Genetic studies are based on comparisons of genetic diversity between species,