Tom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom. Tom writes mainly about science, space, archaeology, the Earth and the oceans. He has also written for the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic, Scientific American, Air & Space, and many others.
Hunter-gatherers in what is now Patagonia, Argentina, kept foxes as pets before the arrival of European dogs about 500 years ago, a new study suggests. In some cases, the ancient people were so closely bonded with their pet foxes that they were even buried with them.
Discovered in 1991, the site holds bones from at least 24 people, including children, and their personal belongings, such as necklace beads, stone tools, and tembetás or lip ornaments. Previously calculated radiocarbon dates suggest they lived there about 1,500 years ago. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over."It probably had some sort of deep relationship with the hunter-gatherer society and that individual in particular," she said.
In the latest study, however, the team carried out precise measurements of its dimensions and an ancient DNA analysis, which showed it was instead a Dusicyon avus. "Its strong bond with human individuals during its life would have been the primary factor for its placement as a grave good after the death of its owners or the people with whom it interacted," they wrote.
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