Man's best friend - First eradicate the Neanderthals, then biodiversity

Humans and their dogs drove our evolutionary cousins Neanderthals to extinction
"Early dogs, bred from wolves, played a critical role in the modern human’s takeover of Europe 40,000 years ago when we vanquished the Neanderthal locals. The Neanderthals, who had lived there for more than 200,000 years. However, within a few thousand years of our arrival, they disappeared...Humans and hunting dogs were, and still are, a deadly combination." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/01/hunting-with-wolves-humans-conquered-the-world-neanderthal-evolution

Man’s best friend may be nature’s worst enemy, study on pet dogs
“Many owners simply don’t realise the environmental damage dogs can cause, from disturbing wildlife to polluting ecosystems." >>
https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/mans-best-friend-may-be-natures-worst-enemy-study-on-pet-dogs-finds/

Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs
"The sheer number of dogs contributes to global carbon emissions and land and fresh water use via the pet food industry. " >>
https://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/pdf/PC24071

#dogs #dog #pets #HumanAnimalInteraction #carnivores #DogAttacks #penguins #koalas
#extinction #Biodiversity #wildlife #conservation #water #pollution #faeces #disturbance #zoonoses #PetIndustry #meat #ecosystems #climate #shorebirds #beach #ExtinctionCrisis #Neanderthals #BellingenShire #EcologicalDisturbance #IntroducedSpecies

'Riding on the sheep’s back' in the 50s
https://dl.nfsa.gov.au/module/1592/

'Riding on the dogs’s back' in the 21st century
Australia's biodiversity is both rich and unique, so why do Australians have one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world?
https://bookshop.nla.gov.au/book/australias-dogs.do

#Pets #PetIndustry #Dogs #HumanAnimalInteraction #extinctions #Biodiversity #Conservation
Image: Picture frame seen in #Bellingen shop