Human-canid relationship in the Americas: an examination of canid biological attributes and domestication

Abstract

Nineteen species of wild canids interact with humans in the Americas in different ways. The zooarchaeological record of burials, shifts in diet, abundance at sites, and ethnological information document the various kinds of interactions of canids and humans in the Americas. However, none of these native canid species has been domesticated. To understand past and present interactions of canids and humans, and explore the biological attributes of native canids (diet, gestation length, occurrence in captivity, temperament, social system, weight, activity pattern, and relative abundance) in view of their suggested potential for domestication, we selected 163 publications from the zooarchaeological record and ethnological sources from the Americas. The compilation ranged between the years 1823 and 2021. The two species with the highest domestication potential based on their life history, social system, and diet are Canis latrans and Speothos venaticus. For the domestication of a canid species to occur, it is necessary to have the biological attributes to facilitate the process, and for the (human) potential domesticator the worldview consistent with this practice. The latter likely explains the lack of domesticated canids in the Amazon region.