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Overlapping human and canid tracks in Bàsura Cave in northwestern Italy provide direct evidence that people and a probable dog moved through the cave at the same time, about 14,400 calibrated years ago. The prints do not establish what the people and animal were doing together, so they are evidence of close association—not proof of a specific cooperative task such as hunting or guarding.
What do the 14,400-year-old tracks show?
A 2025 study reports human and canid footprints at Grotta della Bàsura, near Toirano in northwestern Italy. The impressions overlap and are superimposed. The study’s authors interpret that relationship as evidence of contemporaneous movement: humans and the trackmaking canid were in the cave at the same time. The reported age is about 14,400 calibrated years BP, as given in the study abstract; it should not be treated as a precise calendar year. University of Genoa IRIS study record.
That is a meaningful trace of humans and a canid sharing a place, but footprints preserve only part of the story. They cannot tell us whether the animal was accompanying the people, working with them, or simply moving through the cave nearby. The study’s interpretation of a probable domestic dog makes the association especially notable, but the animal’s social role is not visible in the prints.
Was it definitely a domesticated dog?
No—not with certainty. The researchers identify the trackmaker as a probable domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris, drawing on track variation, neoichnological analysis, principal component analysis and comparisons with fossil material. They also infer that the prints likely came from one individual. These are scientific interpretations of the preserved tracks, not directly observable facts such as the impressions’ location or overlap. The authors place the evidence within a regionally diverse process of dog domestication; this single find does not settle when or where domestication began. University of Genoa IRIS study record.
#1 Best Overall
- Prehistoric Collection: Includes 12 mini figurines that represent a prehistoric scene, with cave people, ice age animals, and elements of the ancient landscape.
- Teach History: This Toob is a great tool for teaching about prehistory and the evolution of human society, as it includes figurines representing early humans and prehistoric creatures.
- Hand-Painted Figures: Each figure is meticulously hand-painted to depict the unique characteristics of prehistoric humans and animals with scientific accuracy.
- Safe and Durable: Our products are made from non-toxic, BPA-free PVC and designed to withstand the rigors of imaginative play.
- Sized Just Right: The Toob is 1.5 inches wide and 12.8 inches tall, with figures that range from 1.25 to 3.75 inches tall, perfect for little hands.
How large was the animal?
Using regression-based estimates derived from footprint measurements, the study authors reconstruct a trackmaker of approximately 39 kg, 69 cm at the shoulder and 108 cm in total length. These are estimates from the tracks, not direct measurements of a preserved animal. University of Genoa IRIS study record.
Is this the same as the human and canid tracks at Chauvet?
No. Bàsura Cave is in Italy and is the site of the approximately 14,400-year-old overlapping tracks. Chauvet Cave is a separate site in France, with a different set of traces and a different reported date. The French Ministry of Culture describes around 20 human traces along roughly 70 metres in Chauvet’s Gallery of the Crosshatching and associated charcoal smears dated to 26,000 years ago. A separate morphometric study discusses canid prints accompanying human prints at Chauvet but describes the canid as unidentified in its framing. Those Chauvet details do not identify Bàsura’s trackmaker or change the date of the Italian find. French Ministry of Culture heritage page; peer-reviewed morphometric study record.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Package include 12pcs Simulated Ancient Animal Model Figurines
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Rank #4
- Unrestricted fun: The Animal Action Toy Figure for of all ages, for boys and girls, for indoors and outdoors; toys, games and beautiful decoration to delight and inspire fun play for children. A nature encyclopedia in hand.
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Rank #3
- Detailed Design: Reflecting the unique features of Anzu Wyliei, including a prominent crest, specialized beak, and feathered appearance, this hand-painted figurine is crafted with astonishing lifelike details, showcasing its vibrant plumage.
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Rank #2
- Uncommonly Modeled Prehistoric Animals - Most children's models of prehistoric animals are of dinosaurs. The earlier animals are often neglected, and this set goes back to some of the earliest animals, twice the time back of dinosaurs, and represent animals that fossil hunters are more likely to find.
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- Nice Variety and Great Quality - Safe first! our product made of environmental PVC. They are a good value 11 different animals, all well formed and realistically detailed, with unique shapes and textures, solid and sturdy, the prehistoric toys looks like they are living.
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