Kathmandu, Oct. 25 -- The large shaggy dog with a great mane, thoughtful droopy eyes and a deep bark that echoes across Himalayan crags is not just a breed much sought after to guard livestock. The Tibetan Mastiff, scientists say, is one of the first species to be domesticated, evolving from wolves to live alongside human beings.
Found in Himalayan settlements in Nepal and the Tibetan Plateau right up to the upper limits of human habitation at 4,500m, the dog's body is so adapted to low oxygen levels in the thin air that its blood is 50% more efficient at carrying oxygen than that of mutts living in the plains.
Latest genetic studies have shown that domestic dogs emerged from two types of wolves found in the eastern and western edges of ...