Scientists have found the genetic diversity between regional dingo populations was well established before British colonial times. Photo: UWA
A collaborative study of the ancient history of dingoes has found the genetic diversity in today’s populations was in place long before Europeans introduced domestic dogs.
Researchers generated a first-of-its-kind collection of 42 ancient dingo specimens, dating from 400 to 2,746 years ago, and compared the data with DNA from modern dingoes, as well as ancient and modern dogs worldwide.
University of Adelaide Dr Yassine Souilmi said the study contributed to a growing body of evidence that there had been less interbreeding between dingoes and modern dogs than previously thought.
“It appears dingoes had distinct regional populations, split roughly along the Great Dividing Range, long before the European invasion of Australia, and certainly predating the dingo-proof fence,” he said.
“Our findings highlight the ancient and resilient lineage of this animal, showing that modern dingoes primarily descend from ancient wild dogs brought to the Sahul region — an ancient landmass that included Australia and New Guinea — thousands of years ago.”
Dr Souilmi said the outcomes of the study not only shed light on the genetic heritage of dingoes but also highlighted the importance of ancient DNA in wildlife conservation.
“Dingoes are culturally important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and play a key role in Australia’s ecosystem, and understanding their history helps preserve their ecological and cultural roles,” he said.
“It also highlights the need to protect dingo populations, especially in national parks, from lethal culling.”
UWA emerita professor Jane Balme said one key revelation was that New Guinea singing dogs had more common genetic markers with ancient dingoes from coastal NSW, compared to those from South Australia.
“This genetic connection indicates a shared ancestry and supports the hypothesis of at least two waves of migration from source populations with varying affinities to New Guinea singing dogs,” she said.
“Given the sea crossings involved in travelling between New Guinea and Australia, it is likely that the dingoes arrived as companions with people.”
“An exciting find is that at least one of these waves was about 2,500 years ago — over 1000 years after dingoes first arrived in Australia — which confirms other evidence from north-east Australia for regional human movements at this time.”
