Dingo DNA from centuries ago reveals a surprising history
Dingoes get a fair bit of controversy. For some, they’re a nuisance predator. But they also play a crucial ecological role and they’re an important part of Indigenous culture.
Dingoes have been in Australia for at least 3,500 years, and have adapted to many different regions across Australia. New research is now shining more light on the species’ origins.
Dr Yassine Souilmi is Group Leader of Genomics & Bioinformatics in the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, at the University of Adelaide.
He joined us this morning to talk about the history of dingoes – how long they’ve been in Australia, how they got here, and are they still ‘pure-bred’.
Related links
Article in The Conversation:
What were dingoes like before the European invasion? Centuries-old DNA reveals a surprising history.
Research publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:
Ancient genomes reveal over two thousand years of dingo population structure.
