Archaeologists discover dog paw print in Bronze Age ruins in Turkey

A stray dog, after suffering assaults in Macaé, was rescued, received veterinary care, and found a new home, beginning its recovery period with its new family.

The adoption of the animal, named Chocolate, was finalized on Monday, the 26th. It left the veterinary clinic in the afternoon and was taken to its new residence, where it will continue to receive monitoring and veterinary care.

Jhenifer, the teacher who adopted the dog, reported that she learned about the incident through social media and was moved by the story. The family already had plans to welcome an animal and decided to open their doors to Chocolate after learning about the violence it suffered.

The new guardian described Chocolate as an affectionate and docile animal, stating that she will respect the time needed for its improvement. She expressed hope that it will soon be active again, running and playing.

The act of aggression occurred on Saturday afternoon, the 24th, and was captured on video by local residents. The footage shows a man punching the dog.

After the attack, Chocolate became very debilitated and required hospitalization at a veterinary clinic. According to the medical report, it presented with ocular hemorrhage and difficulty moving. Furthermore, the animal suffered hearing loss, the cause of which is still under investigation, and tested positive for anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease.

The Municipal Secretariat for Animal Protection and Defense was notified about the case via social media, provided the rescue, and covered the costs of veterinary treatment. Rafael Amorim, secretary of the department, communicated that the incident will be forwarded to the police, along with the images of the assault, witness testimonies, and other relevant data for the investigation.

According to the secretary, the city hall intends to seek accountability from the suspected individual and request preventive arrest. Rafael Amorim also assessed that the violence used against the animal demonstrated lethal intent. He emphasized that the role of the Macaé Secretariat for Animal Protection and Defense is to ensure the well-being and care of the animal, which is now under its custody, and to ensure that justice is administered through police investigation and other judicial measures.

Archaeologists have discovered petroglyphs, presumably created during the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, as well as traces of a Bronze Age settlement in the Nurata mountain range. These findings were made during fieldwork in the Koshrabad district of the Samarkand region and will allow for a deeper study of how ancient people settled this region and their contacts with neighboring tribes.

In October, researchers from the Yakhye Gulomov Samarkand Archaeological Institute conducted surveys of the mountainous and foothill areas of this district. On the walls and ceilings of stone shelters in the locations of Egrizarsay, Khodzhasay (Badimin), Galajinsay, and Sumbulsay, which are part of the Akchabsay mahalla, investigators identified images executed with natural ochre. According to preliminary data, these drawings date back to the Mesolithic and Neolithic eras.

Furthermore, another significant discovery was made in the Pangat mahalla area. Archaeologists found and studied fragments of Bronze Age pottery in three different locations. At one site, located approximately 700–800 meters east of the village Kumolokli, specialists began trial excavations measuring 2 by 1 meter.

A cultural layer about sixty centimeters thick was revealed beneath the ground surface, serving as evidence of a Bronze Age settlement. During the excavations, a large number of pottery shards and bone remains were found. The discovered artifacts require further excavation work, as they may provide new information about the lifestyle, occupations, and daily life of the ancient inhabitants of the Nurata mountains.

The scientists intend to compare these findings with archaeological data obtained from other regions to gain a more complete understanding of the history of Nurata's settlement. It is worth noting that traces of a presumed palace of 8th-century rulers have previously been discovered in the Samarkand region.

The study suggests that large-breed dogs may age faster due to a loss of control over DNA segments known as 'jumping genes.' This is reported by research published in the journal Science.

In the course of the work, 864 dogs were analyzed, and scientists discovered an accelerated loss of chemical tags that regulate these genetic elements in larger animals. This finding may help in studying the reasons why giant dogs generally live shorter lives than small ones.

So-called jumping genes are transposons—DNA segments capable of making copies of themselves and inserting them into other areas of the genome. The study paid particular attention to a class of such elements known as LINE1.

The organism controls the activity of these segments through methylation—a process that adds chemical tags to DNA without changing its sequence. With age, some of these tags are lost, which can weaken control over LINE1. When they become overly active, these elements are linked to DNA damage, cancer, and other age-related diseases.

Noah Snyder-McLear, the senior author of the study, stated in a message from Arizona State University in the United States that 'we found that the epigenetic regulation of transposons, especially LINE1, appears to be an important factor determining the rate of aging in different dogs.'

The data was obtained as part of the Dog Aging Project, which tracks the health and lifespan of animals. The team identified a loss of methylation with age in more than 40% of the genome regions associated with LINE1. This difference was more pronounced in large-bodied dogs: on average, giant breeds lost about 35% more methylation in these regions annually than small breeds. Note that this percentage refers to the rate of chemical tag loss, not to an equivalent reduction in lifespan.

Blaze Mariner, a co-author of the study, noted in a university message: 'This suggests that the faster aging of large dogs may be caused, at least in part, by reduced control over these 'jumping genes.''

The analysis also showed differences between males and females: higher methylation of LINE1 was demonstrated in males on the X chromosome. This result indicates that the regulation of these elements may vary depending on sex.

Despite the findings, researchers still need to determine whether increased LINE1 activity contributes to aging or is a consequence of it. The answer will help better understand the role of these elements in bodily wear and tear. The study may also contribute to the study of human aging, as dogs develop some diseases similar to human diseases and share with humans the home environment and various daily exposures.

Currently, the study points to a possible molecular mechanism related to the difference in lifespan among dogs of different sizes. The results do not prove the cause of this difference nor do they offer treatments to extend animal life.