Current Events: Deeper Digging Needed to Decode a Best Friend’s Genetic Roots

    This article discusses the mysterious DNA of dogs. Scientists estimate that dogs started roaming Earth between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. The only piece of information that we had for a very long time was that dogs came from wolves. When DNA was collected from 1,375 dogs, it was found that the breeds were so mixed that their deep genetic history was obscured. However, six dog breeds were found whose DNA was less mixed. They were the basenji, shar-pei, Saluki, Akita, Finnish spitz and Eurasier. When they added these to eight breeds deemed ancient  in other studies, what they found was that the dogs that were most genetically distinct were not from the places where the oldest archaeological and fossil evidence had been found. Scientists expected that if these breeds were closer genetically to the first domesticated dogs, then they would also be geographically closer. They would also be closer geographically to early dog fossils and areas where ancients breeds are known to have lived. Oddly, the findings proved to oppose this expectation. The most genetically distinct dogs were recently relatively isolated in the history of domestication.

    Luckily, not all is lost. For thousands of years, humans have buried their dogs. These early dog fossils can be discovered and dug up. Furthermore, just as DNA had been taken from Neanderthals to study early human life, the same can be done with dogs. The genetic findings from ancient dog fossils should help shed light on the mysteries of early dog domestication in the next few years. As more DNA is collected and more knowledge of dogs is received, we are taking steps in the right direction. In the meantime, scientists need to just step back and take a breath. We can only come closer to figuring out where and when dogs appeared on Earth.
Link:Dogs' Genetic Roots Remain Obscure