Fossil deposits have revealed that the jackal is one of the oldest known dog species. It has remained pretty much unchanged since the Pleistocene epoch, up to 2.5 million years ago. Jackals are highly vocal. Best known for their high wailing calls – often given in the early evening, when one individual answers another until an unearthly chorus builds up. In the folklore of the indigenous Khoikhoi people of south-western Africa, the jackal often travels in tandem with the lion, which it frequently outsmarts or betrays using its superior intelligence.