Over 400 varieties of dog can be found today; this study investigates the archaeological and genetic evidence for their origins. Looking at evidence from across the globe, including Europe, the Americas, Egypt and the Near East, Africa, Asia and Australasia, Michelle Raisor argues that the dog naturally evolved from the wolf, without human intervention, and contributes to the debate concerning the date of the domestication of the dog. The thesis combines scientific analysis of genes with discussion of a broad range of prehistoric archaeological sites.