Dogs and People in Social, Working, Economic or Symbolic Interaction

National University of Mexico, under the direction of Linda Manzanilla, was undertaken in the prehispanic city of Teotihuacan, located to the northeast of modern Mexico City. Initial analysis of the assemblage of identified canids (455 individuals), resulted in 20 being considered possible wolves. Although their cranial and dental characteristics were similar to the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), their dimensions were smaller. In 1999 additional analysis indicates that these individuals were really hybrids of wolves (Canis lupus) and dogs (Canis familiaris). While the best example (of this proposed hybrid) was the complete skeleton of a young animal, there were many other individuals represented by just the inferior mandible and teeth. Their reconstructed shape is of a bigger dog with a wolf-like look, with a shoulder height of up to 20 inches, and length up to 30 inches. The data from the young individuals indicate a strong asincrony in their development. Quantification of bone strontium and zinc indicates that their diet was primarily herbivorous, with minimal access to meat. This condition could only be explained by owners who took care of them and gave them food. Most of the samples recovered were dated between the VIII and XII centuries AD, and were discovered inside the tunnels, where they were left in locations oriented to the west. The association of caves, west and wolves in Prehispanic Indian symbolism indicates that these animals were used in rituals associated with the passage of th