Final answer:
The process by which ancient canids became domestic dogs as they scavenged closer to human settlements is known as domestication. This process entailed humans selectively breeding for traits like sociability and smaller size, fundamentally shaping roles such as guard, hunter, herder, and companion in human societies. Wolves, with their social and hierarchical nature, were prime candidates for domestication into modern dogs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which ancient canids became domestic dogs through scavenging closer to human settlements is known as domestication. This process included selective breeding by humans, enhancing traits such as a calm temperament, sociability within their species, a smaller body size, and tolerance or attachment to humans. This domestication also led to dogs' roles as guards, hunters, herders, and companions, with humans selecting for specific behaviors that were beneficial, like the bark-howl response in guarding or the eye-stalk-chase-bite sequence in herding.
Wolves were prime candidates for domestication due to their social nature and hierarchical pack structure, which lent themselves to accepting human leadership. Modern dogs are genetically very similar to wolves, differing by only approximately 0.2%. Through domestication, dogs have played transformative roles in human culture, serving various functions across different societies.