Ancient DNA sheds light on existence of rare extinct dog

A recent study published in PLOS ONE details the sequencing of ancient mitochondrial DNA from an extinct canid species. Kurīs were small to medium dogs that are believed to have travelled through Oceania alongside Polynesian settlers in the 14th century. Preservation of remains is difficult in the Pacific and thus the archeological record for these ancient dogs is relatively scarce. Greig and colleagues' research showed that modern day Indonesian dogs are close relatives of the kurīs and that the species stemmed  from a small founding population of closely related individuals.