People turn their most dangerous enemies into their best friends

Humanity’s longest experiment in controlled evolution has had other side effects as well.Generations of selection for tameness have favored more juvenile and submissive traits that were pleasing to humans.This phenomenon of selecting traits associated with youth is known as neoteny,and can be seen in many domestic animals.Thousands of years of co-evolution may even have bonded us chemically.Not only can canines understand our emotions and body language,but when dogs and humans interact,both our bodies release oxytocin;a hormone commonly associated with feelings of love and protectiveness. It might be difficult to fathom how every Pomeranian, Chihuahua, and Poodle are descended from fierce wolves.But the diversity of breeds today is the result of a relationship that precedes cities, agriculture,and even the disappearance of our Neanderthal cousins.And it’s heartening to know that given enough time,even our most dangerous rivals can become our fiercest friends.