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The 15,000-year-old remains of domestic dogs have yielded the earliest known dog genome, pushing the genetic record back by 5,000 years, according to a study published in Nature on March 26, 2026. The findings hint at the important role dogs played in early human communities with varying lifestyles. The same briefing also covers grade inflation in PhD programs and strategies for environmental scientists facing funding cuts.

Nature, Published online: 26 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00992-0The 15,000-year-old remains of domestic dogs hint at their importance to early communities with different ways of living. Plus, ‘grade inflation’ hits PhDs and how environmental scientists can reinvent their research when funding is scarce.