Emily Chan
A popular theory points to the “dingo fence” as the reason behind the divide between the dingoes. The dingo fence is a barrier that was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It is nearly 3,500 miles long and splits Australia into two sections. The fence was meant to deter dingoes from hunting livestock.
But the study implies that the dingo fence is not what led to the eastern and western groups of dingoes. Instead, it found that these two populations were already established 2,500 years ago. It may have been that dingoes arrived in different areas of Australia in two independent events.
Then, they remained apart due to Australia’s terrain, such as the Great Dividing Range and the Murray-Darling Basin.
Furthermore, the researchers observed a genetic link between New Guinea singing dogs and ancient dingoes in southeast Australia. The finding suggests that the two species interbred with each other between 2,285 and 2,627 years ago.
The researchers hope that the results of the study will stop people from killing dingoes and change their views on the canines. Currently, they are considered pests and are killed to protect livestock. However, they are also important predators that help maintain the ecosystem.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
