Humans and dogs created the Arctic together

How have humans survived, settled, and adapted in some of the harshest conditions on the planet? The answer is four-legged.

A new article in the renowned journal Evolutionary Anthropology shows how humans and dogs have developed a symbiotic partnership over thousands of years that not only ensured survival but also shaped the entire Arctic landscape.

The article "Human-Dog Symbiosis and Ecological Dynamics in the Arctic" is written by Emma Vitale, PhD student at the Globe Institute at University of Copenhagen and the Institute of Health & Nature at University of Greenland, together with researchers Tatiana R. Feuerborn and Matthew Walls.

The sledge dog enabled the expansion of the Inuit

Research shows that dogs were already being used as traction animals in the Arctic in the Early Holocene, around 11,000 years ago. This was a decisive turning point: dogs enabled the Inuit to travel vast distances, expand their settlements, and build a life in an extreme climate.

Although sledge dog populations are currently under pressure from climate change, colonial history, and cultural shifts, dogs remain a powerful symbol of Inuit identity and culture.

A dynamic collaboration between species

The article points out that the relationship between humans and dogs is not just about usefulness. It is a dynamic system of mutual learning - a process researchers call enskilment. Here, both humans and dogs acquire skills through cooperation, where tools such as harnesses and whips serve as communicative links.

- "It is not only humans who teach dogs to pull. The dogs' own initiatives, instincts, and drive also shape how we humans adapt to the Arctic. We are talking about a landscape that has been created and managed jointly by two species", Emma Vitale explains.

A new way of understanding the Arctic

By combining archaeological findings and contemporary Inuit practices, researchers demonstrate how bodily knowledge, cooperation, and animal resourcefulness have contributed to ecological resilience in the Arctic for thousands of years.

The article therefore challenges the notion that adaptation in the Arctic is a unilateral human achievement. Instead, it emphasizes the enduring importance of the cross-species partnership between humans and dogs.

If you are now even more curious about the collaboration between humans and dogs - you can read the article for free here.