A genetic switch allowed dogs to adapt to a starch-rich diet and
evolve from meat-munching wolves into Man's leftover-loving best
friend, scientists said. Comparing the genetic code of the
domestic dog to that of its wolf cousins, a team of researchers
from Sweden, Norway and the United States found several telling
differences. "Our findings show that the digestive system of
dogs have adapted to be able to live on a diet similar to ours,"
co-author Erik Axelsson from Uppsala University in Sweden told
AFP of the study published in the journal Nature. Previous
research had suggested that dog domestication started when
ancient wolves started scavenging on waste dumps near human
settlements. The dog is estimated to have split from the wolf
anything from 7,000 to 30,000 years ago. "A completely new piece
to the puzzle is our finding of a more efficient starch
digestion in dogs," Axelsson said by email. This could mean that
only wolves who learnt to better digest the leftovers survived
to become dog ancestors. "In