Dogs’ Physical Traits Controlled By Small Number Of Genetic Regions
This study of dog genomes sought to identify the genetic differences among various dog breeds. Researchers found six or seven locations in the dog genome that account for about 80% of the differences in height and weight among dog breeds.
In this study, researchers genotyped more than 900 dogs and assessed almost 60 physical traits, finding that only a few genetic regions determine the basics of a dog’s appearance. Scientists believe that studying these genetic differences among dog breeds may develop further scientific understanding of human biomedical traits.