Nature never stays the same. Birds, bugs, animals, humans, plants – every species evolves, adapting to the ever-changing environment with a single goal of survival.
These changes are not random, as evolution is an intricate process, influenced by a variety of factors, like natural selection, access to food, migration, crossbreeding, and the temperatures outside.
In 10,000 years, we as humans won’t look the same way either, so our looks are temporary on a historical scale. But this story is not about us.
See Your Dog in 10,000 Years
Dogs. How do you imagine your four-pawed baby would look in 10,000 years? Will it be forever encased in some fabulous spacesuit, or will it have wings and a horn? A unicorn Golden Retriever – now, that’s an idea! These are just fantasies, of course, and we are here to talk about canine development from a scientific perspective.
Don’t worry, Basepaws vets and researchers have already done this work for you and visualized the future of dogs in line with the two major scenarios of the Earth’s future: Global Warming and the new Ice Age. Of course, we can’t discard the third option, that of the human-made Armageddon, but breeds would hardly matter then. Nothing would.
Neural networks became our time machine, and they did a great job we must say. Let’s have a closer look.
Scenario 1. Global Warming
Here’s what Dr. Ernie Ward, Veterinary Medical Lead at Basepaws, says about science behind the changes pictured below:
“Over the next few hundred to thousand years, global warming is predicted to create significant challenges for humans wishing to feed and care for dogs. This warming and resource scarcity will likely lead to a reduction in a dog’s body mass and size in an effort to meet physiological needs for food and water. Smaller dogs require less food, energy, and water, and smaller bodies are potentially easier to cool. In addition, reduced skin surface area may also protect dogs from harmful ultraviolet radiation effects.
Since there will be less need to keep a dog’s body warm, dogs will evolve towards less or almost no fur and light-coloured thin skin. Wider ears can help with thermoregulation, leading to dogs with relatively larger heads and ears than today’s mixed breeds. As climate change leads to increased exposure to UV light, many dogs’ eyes may become darker, recessed, and more hooded for extra sunlight protection. Many dogs may evolve to become more active at night or during cooler periods. Water scarcity may lead to changes in metabolism to conserve body water and allow dogs to go extended periods without rehydrating.”
So, this is how a Poodle, a Golden Retriever, a Greyhound, and a Pomeranian would look like 10,000 years down the road, if the global warming scenario takes place.
Scenario 2. Ice Age
Here’s what Dr. Ward has to say about the other scenario:
“While it’s easy to think that if our future is colder, we’d expect to see larger, furrier dogs, it may not be so straightforward. If a New Ice Age comes, keeping a healthy body temperature becomes a physiological priority for warm-blooded dogs. As you’d expect, evolution may create dogs with dense or thick fur and longer hair, often darker in colour, in an effort to preserve their core body temperature. Science is divided on whether colder temperatures would lead to larger or smaller canine bodies. We can expect dogs to evolve with more body fat to insulate against the cold and serve as an energy reservoir for maintaining body temperature. Dogs may adapt more wolf-like characteristics, potentially competing with humans for food and shelter. Future Ice Age dogs would need strong muscles for hunting and running, so we can expect to see some strong and well-muscled breeds.”
Check out these beautiful visualizations of a Dalmatian, a Bulldog, a Dachshund, and an English Mastiff.
Scenario 3 – SpaceX has colonized Mars.
This is a stellar level of cuteness.
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