What is the estimated timeframe for the genetic split between ancestral wolves and domestic dog ancestors?

Somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago

The precise demarcation between the evolutionary line leading to wolves and the line leading to domestic dogs is defined by genetic analysis of ancient DNA. Current scientific consensus indicates that this significant genetic divergence occurred across a vast temporal span, estimated to be between 15,000 and 40,000 years in the past. This period is notably earlier than the widespread adoption of agriculture, which is generally understood to have taken hold around 12,000 years ago. This places the initial separation firmly within the era dominated by nomadic human hunter-gatherer lifestyles across the globe, suggesting environmental or self-selection mechanisms were primary drivers before systematic human settlement.