Predicting what a dog will look like in 10,000 years

Dogs may shrink in size if the world warms, and if an ice age occurs, they will develop thicker, denser coats.

Dogs today come in many sizes and coat colors. Photo: PK-Photos — Dogs today come in many sizes and coat colors. Photo: *PK-Photos*

Modern dogs evolved from wolves that were friendly to humans. Exactly when this relationship began is still debated in the scientific community, but such a strong relationship is unlikely to be destroyed in the future. So how will today’s dog breeds evolve in 10,000 years?

Geneticists teamed up with veterinarian Ernie Ward of Basepaws, a California-based pet genetic testing company, to predict how pets might change in the future, Interesting Engineering reported on November 23. Ward proposed two possible scenarios, one in which global warming becomes more severe and the other in which the Earth enters an ice age. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) help create simulations quickly from input data provided by experts.

Global warming

Changes in global climate will affect the way people care for and feed their dogs. Ward suggests that scarce resources during this time will cause dogs to lose body mass. Smaller bodies will require less food and energy, making them easier to cool. The reduced skin surface area also has the added benefit of helping to protect dogs from harmful ultraviolet radiation. In some cases, dogs may develop darker skin tones.

Increased temperatures will also cause dogs to shed their fur. If temperatures are too high, dogs may even become more nocturnal, growing larger heads and ears to keep their bodies cool. If water is scarce, they may also change their metabolism to go longer without rehydrating.

Illustration of Dalmatians, bulldogs, sausages and English mastiffs if the world's temperatures dropped. Photo: Basepaws — Illustration of Dalmatians, bulldogs, sausages and English mastiffs if the world's temperatures dropped. Photo: *Basepaws*

Ice Age

If temperatures drop and the world enters a new ice age, it’s easy to predict that dogs will develop thicker, denser fur to keep warm. Scientists aren’t sure whether lower temperatures will cause dogs to shrink or increase in size, Ward says. Either way, dogs will increase their body fat, which acts as an energy reserve.

Interestingly, dogs can re-evolve wolf-like traits with stronger muscles - essential for running and hunting. However, in extreme cases, these wolf-like traits will lead to dogs competing with humans for food and shelter.

Thu Thao (According to Interesting Engineering )

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