Man’s best friend has been living in North America for over 9,000 years! Scientists recently discovered a small piece of domesticated dog’s skull in a cave in Texas and it’s about 9,400 years old. Early North Americans kept dogs not only for companionship or to help protect them, but they also probably ate dogs during ceremonies or during famines. This skull fragment was found in a piece of fossilized human poop.

Learn more about the bone fragment on National Geographic News.

How much do you know about different breeds of dogs? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

Check out pictures of dogs with jobs on National Geographic Kids.

Photograph courtesy Samuel Belknap