![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090825172812im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/_placehold/placehold-ask.jpg)
![Ask an Astrobiologist](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090825172812im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/text/ask-an-astrobiologist.gif)
"Why was it significant that the Phoenix lander found ice on Mars? Haven't we known for some time that Mars has ice caps at its poles?"
Special Note
Ask an Astrobiologist has received nearly a thousand questions about Nibiru and 2012, with more than 200 answers posted. Please read a summary of the answers that have already been posted, use the search feature and read the FAQ’s before submitting questions on these topics.
-
Question
How long have dogs existed on earth?
This question is complicated by lack of consensus on what is a dog. Some people focus on the modern domestic dog (Canis familiaras), whose origins go back only about 15,000 years. But the domestic dog is almost identical genetically to the grey wolf (Canis lupis), whose origins can be traced back at least 10 million years. David Morrison
NAI Senior Scientist
January 9, 2006
![FAQ](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090825172812im_/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/img/text/hd_faq.gif)
- How frequently are questions answered?
- I asked a question but there was no answer?
- Who is the Astrobiologist answering these questions?
- Will I get an email when my question is answered?
- What college courses should I take to become an astrobiologist?
- How can I get a job as an astrobiologist at NASA?
- Have aliens visited Earth? Are UFOs real?
- Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?
- Is it true that the Sun will be in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy in December 2012 and that this will cause a pole shift and massive destruction.
- Has NASA discovered life on other worlds?
- Astrobiology Career Path Suggestions