The jawbone of the Bonn-Oberkassel dog Jaw - LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn/Jürgen Vogel

Even in the Stone Age, humans may have loved their dogs. A reanalysis of a prehistoric dog that was buried with two humans reveals that the animal had experienced several bouts of potentially lethal illness. The fact it survived suggests its owners cared for their dog as a pet.

The Bonn-Oberkassel dog was unearthed a century ago in Germany, alongside the remains of a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s. All are about 14,200 years old.

The dog probably lived long after dogs …