This study by Thalmann et al. (2013) uses DNA extracted from the earliest dog to try and establish the origin of modern dogs. Using DNA from prehistoric dogs and modern wolves both complete and partial mitochondrial genomes were generated. By comparing these with genomes of wolves, dogs and coyotes generated a ‘well-resolved phylogeny’. I was found that dogs fall within one of four clades. Three of these account for 78% of the sequences used in the study and are sister to the more ancient canids in Europe. The final group, clade A, was the most diverse and includes the Dingo and some Chinese indigenous dogs and are most closely related to an ancient wolf sequence from Switzerland dating to ~32,100 years ago. The other three clades also have common ancestors found in various locations in Europe providing support for the hypothesis that the origin of dogs is in Europe.