Did eating human poop play a role in the evolution of dogs?

My reading of the relatively meager research on the consumption of poop by dogs suggests that Brian Hare is onto something. There is ample evidence that human feces can make up a substantial proportion of the daily diet of free-ranging dogs. And, from a dog’s point of view, human feces appears to be tasty and surprisingly nutritious. Given its nutritional value and accessibility, it is certainly reasonable to think that in some places, poop-eating was involved in the evolution of dogs.

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At one level, I find this idea decidedly unappealing, but it does raise interesting questions. For example, do grey wolves find human poop yummy? How does the nutritional value of human feces compare to that of doggie-doo? And is interspecific canine coprophagia common in areas where humans lack indoor toilets?

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