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Charles Vila has conducted the most extensive study to date, demonstrating that there is no legitimate evidence to show that any other form of canine was responsible for the modern dog except that of the wolf. Analyzing 162 different DNA samples from 27 different wolf populations around the world, Vila's team compared the examples with those of 140 dogs from 67 breeds.
The evidence demonstrated that all dog breeds descended from different wolves in different areas at different times. For example, North American dog breeds descended from North American wolves, while Asian dog breeds descended from Asian wolves. This is the main reason that different types of dog breeds exist.
The major challenge and problem with the study of the evolution of dogs is the fact that the DNA evidence does not align to accepted principles of the molecular clock theory. The oldest clear fossils of dogs as distinguished from wolves date approximately 14,000 years ago. With the level of evolution that has occurred from the wolf to the modern dog, most scientists believe that the time frame would be around 100,000 years. This means that unlike other species on Earth, the dog evolved much faster than normally possible.
