# Natl Geo Dog Article



## Debbieg

* Natl Geo dog DNA article *

National Geographic Magazine - NGM.com

The February 2012 issue of National Geographic has an article entitled _What Dog's Tell Us: The ABC's of DNA_. 

The section about the three genes and their mutations that create different dog coats was surprising to.

Scientists analyzed the DNA of 85 breeds and discovered they could be placed into four categories, which they they named Wolflike, Herders, Hunters, and Mastifflike.

The top 8 of the 85 breeds that had mostly Wolflike DNA were, Shiba Inu, Chow Chow, Akita, Alaskan Malamute Basenji, Chinese Shar-Pei, Siberian Husky, and Afghan Hound. The vast majority of the remaining breeds had hardly any Wolflike DNA. Most dogs were in the Hunter category.

According to this, Jake our borzoi has Herding DNA! ( although he shows no herding instinct!

The GSD's DNA is mostly in the Mastifflike category.

They also talked about genetic disorders in dogs and how they have not been able to identify genes related to canine behavior except a "dog version of the gene for obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans

There was also a short article about village dogs. The scientist traveled to Africa and analyzed the DNA from 300 village dogs and found out that most of them were as closely related to wolves as they were to domesticated dogs.

It has some really cool pictures too.


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## BlackthornGSD

Neat--I look forward to reading it.


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## Wolfiesmom

Cool. I'm going to check that out.


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## PaddyD

Out of all the genes, I wonder which ones they were using for comparison and categorization.


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## angelas

Debbieg said:


> According to this, Jake our borzoi has Herding DNA! ( although he shows no herding instinct!


This is not as surprising when one remembers that collie blood was added to the breed.


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## carmspack

angelas , the other way around, borzoi was added to collie , which changed the collie to the modern version with the narrow head -- this was Queen Victoria's idea .


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## Emoore

Debbieg said:


> The GSD's DNA is mostly in the Mastifflike category.


That would be the, um, Swabian dogs? Right? Not the other ones that starts with Th?


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## Debbieg

Emoore said:


> That would be the, um, Swabian dogs? Right? Not the other ones that starts with Th?


I don't know. Maybe the gsd's they took the DNA from had more of the thuringian than the swabian 

I just found the article interesting and wanted to share. I live learning about dogs because next to the relationships I have with my family the relationships with digs have brought so much joy and meaning to my life,


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## carmspack

my friend who I mention often is a senior research microbiologist who worked on the genome . This is not new "news" as the canine and human genome have been out for almost 10 years. It does not matter Swabian or Thuringian they model was basic modern GSD. The GSD did have a familial root in the mastiff-like group . Do not think of modern purebred mastiffs , but the mastiff molosser dogs that the Roman army took across "europe" in its conquest and empire building . They left behind children and language and dogs , which performed as guard and herders . The Roman empire stopped in Gallica with an infiltrated area which become upper and lower Germania , but were repelled from their efforts in conquering Magna Germania in the battle of Teutoburg with the warrior Arminius (Hermann) . These barbarians were too fierce for the Romans. This is where Martin got the name Arminius for his show kennel , as in Wienerau and Arminius.
I have been reading the histories of Germany as a prelude to these books Hitler's Vienna, 1938 , after having read Weimar Germany and Ian Kershaw's studies (very heavy - so sporadic only). 

I did look at National Geographic today and guess I missed that article -but did see the article on the sled dogs and their intelligence . I did pick up Scientific American which has an article on "Magnetic Sensing in Animals" and lead topic - "the pathway of youth" . Also picked up Discover's "the brain" with an article on "animal prodigies" - "how dogs read minds and birds that cheat and steal " .

I'll have to go back and look for the National Geographic again and add that to my reference library then.

adding this -- the border collie belongs to the wolf-like group , the GSD does not , even though there is relatively recent introduction to some wolf genetics.

Carmen


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## Debbieg

Carmen, the article is in the February issue. The one about sled dogs was an earlier issue. If you click on the link in the first post and then click table of contents you can read it on line. 

Sorry about the typos in my last post above this one. I would appreciate it if a mod could change "dig" to dog and "live" to love! I was typing from my phone in poor light.


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## carmspack

thanks Debbie. Now I did flip through that article - called speed read scan -- before I even read who was the intelligent one , I had picked that gorgeous headed black dog - who proved it was "the ONE" Johan . What a head and eye , he has that "arrogant" commanding leader look about him. Should go back and buy it before it gets replaced with the Feb issue.


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