An international research consortium has generated and analysed 2000 canine genomes.
The resulting advanced genetics toolkit can now be used to answer complex biological questions, spanning dog domestication, genetic differences in breed morphology, behaviour and disease susceptibility, as well as the evolution and structure of the genome.
The study—published in Genome Biology—describes the toolkit resource package and presents the first set of discoveries.
The publication is the culmination of efforts from the Dog10K consortium; 48 scientists across 25 institutions, contributing samples and resources to the immense analytical effort.
“The goal was to produce a resource the global community could access, and which they could use to speed the translation of their own research, be that in the study of the shared ancestors of dogs and wolves, or the clinical treatment of cancers,” said Uppsala University research scientist, Jennifer Meadows, lead co-author of the study.
“All these avenues are exciting, and all can benefit from the Dog10K catalog.”
The power of the Dog10K analyses lies in the depth of genetic diversity the team was able to capture. Canine samples were drawn from more than 320 of the approximately 400 recognised pedigree dog breeds, as well as niche populations of village dogs, wolves, and coyotes.
“We have just scratched the surface of the data’s potential,” Meadows said.
“There is yet more genetic diversity left to be found in dogs, wolves and coyotes, but the Dog10K team looks forward to seeing how this first effort is applied by the canine science community.”
