Famous 'ice-age puppies' are not actually dogs, according to new study

Two small cubs that died more than 14,000 years ago, were initially considered to be early domesticated dogs. New findings now confirm that these so-called “puppies” were actually wolf cubs. Their final nap, curled up in their den, turned them into scientific time capsules.

Their frozen remains – discovered in northern Siberia – were so well preserved that researchers could study what they ate, how they lived, and how they died.

Where the wolf cubs were found

The cubs were found about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the village of Tumat in Siberia. One was unearthed in 2011 and the other in 2015, at what is now known as the Syalakh site.

Both were buried deep within frozen soil layers, preserved by permafrost alongside mammoth bones that showed signs of having been burned and butchered.

This unusual combination of human activity and frozen remains sparked early speculation. Some believed the cubs might have been early dogs, living among humans or scavenging near human settlements.

The fact that their fur was black – a trait once thought to be unique to domesticated dogs – added fuel to the theory.

University of York sheds new light

But new research from the University of York tells a different story. Scientists studied genetic material from the cubs’ stomachs, along with chemical signals in their bones, teeth, and tissue.

The data pointed not to early dogs, but to wolves – wolves that had lived wild and free during the Pleistocene.

The cubs were about two months old and still nursing. But they were also eating solid food, including meat from a wooly rhinoceros and, in one case, a small bird called a wagtail.

The presence of undigested rhino skin in one cub’s stomach points to how recently they had eaten, and how abruptly their lives had ended.

“It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal that they ate,” said Anne Kathrine Runge from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology.

Sister wolf cubs lost in a collapse

The cubs showed no signs of injury or attack. Researchers believe they were resting in their den, possibly after feeding, when a landslide or collapse trapped them.

“Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves,” explained Runge.

“It also means that the mystery of how dogs evolved into the domestic pet we know today deepens, as one of our clues – the black fur color – may have been a red herring given its presence in wolf cubs from a population that is not related to domestic dogs,” she added.

Life in a rich landscape

Inside the wolf cubs’ stomachs were fossilized remains of plants such as prairie grasses, willow twigs, and leaves from Dryas shrubs. This suggests they lived in a varied and rich ecosystem, full of edible plants and animals.

Despite their proximity to mammoth bones, there was no sign that the cubs ate mammoth meat. Instead, researchers found clear evidence of wooly rhinoceros in their diet.

Although a fully grown rhino would be far too large for a cub – or even a single adult wolf – to bring down, scientists think the prey was likely a young calf taken down by the pack and shared with the cubs.

Bigger wolves, bigger prey?

The idea of wolves hunting wooly rhinos, even young ones, has raised questions. Could these ancient wolves have been larger and more powerful than today’s gray wolves?

Dr. Nathan Wales, also from the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, explained further.

“We know grey wolves have been around as a species for hundreds of thousands of years, based on skeletal remains from palaeontological sites, and researchers have done DNA testing of some of those remains to understand how the population changed over time,” he shared.

He added that the soft tissues preserved in the Tumat cubs gives another, fascinating way of investigating the wolf evolutionary line.

“We can see that their diets were varied, consisting of both animal meat and plant life, much like that of modern wolves,” he said, “and we have an insight into their breeding behaviors too. The pair were sisters and likely being reared in a den and cared for by their pack – all common characteristics of breeding and raising of offspring in wolves today.”

It is common for modern wolves to have larger litters than two, and it is possible that the Tumat cubs had siblings that escaped the fate of the unfortunate sisters. Or perhaps there will be more of the litter hidden in the permafrost nearby.

Dr. Wales also commented on the fact that wooly rhinoceros remains were found in the cubs’ stomachs.

“The hunting of an animal as large as a wooly rhinoceros, even a baby one, suggests that these wolves are perhaps bigger than the wolves we see today, but still consistent in many ways, because wolves still tend to hunt easy prey while some of the pack is engaged in cub rearing.”

The dog puzzle remains

This study does more than shed light on two ancient cubs. It also leaves an open question: When and where did dogs emerge from their wolf ancestors?

So, while the Tumat “puppies” are not the key to unlocking the origin of domestic dogs, they are a vital piece of the puzzle. And somewhere, buried in the frost or hidden in ancient sediments, the first true dog still waits to be found.

The full study was published in the journal Quaternary Research.

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