A study has allowed researchers to link dog behavior with specific genetic lineages.
In the study, published in Cell, researchers claim that “selective breeding of domestic dogs has generated diverse breeds often optimized for performing specialized tasks.” However, they also state that” identification…has proven challenging due to the complexity of canine population structure.” By identification, researchers mean being able to understand the relationships and drivers between behaviors and breeds.
As a way to combat this, instead of classic breed distinctions, researchers decided to organize breed data genetically. As geneticist Elaine Ostrander told Nature, “There are about 350 dog breeds recognized in the world, and each one is a different story. You can’t just group them together like you can humans.” Ostrander, part of the US National Human Genome Research Institute in Maryland, authored the study.
An Unprecedented Study
Altogether, researchers compiled genetic data from 4,000 dogs. Among the sample were domestic, semi-feral, and wild canines, as well as mixed-breed dogs. Additionally, researchers collected survey data for over 46,000 dogs.
With both datasets, the team mapped the behaviors of over 260 breeds and created ten distinct genetic lineages. Some of the study’s findings illustrated dogs’ history as a complex narrative. In one example, DNA variants found in sheepdogs found that their herding instincts formed a particular path between neurons. Other studies have found similar chemical reactions in mice nursing their young. Together, the findings suggest that herding may be genetically rooted in the dogs’ maternal instincts.
Big Possibilities With More Research
Interestingly, the study found that breed diversity is “predominantly driven by non-coding regulatory variation.” This means the study focused on small changes in the genome, specifically those that affect the transcription of other genes. As a result, canine geneticist Adam Boyko says future research should look at larger genetic variances. The choice to use dogs was not unintentional either. As models, the study “positions the domestic dog as an unparalleled system for revealing the genetic origins of behavioral diversity.”
Since dogs share their habitat with humans, studies like this may reflect certain truths about our lives.
