Why does a Rhodesian Ridgeback have a ridge of hair growing the opposite direction?
Genomic tool may accelerate studies of dog diseases, many of which also affect humans Nearly two years ago, Broad Institute researchers and their colleagues announced they had successfully decoded the genome of the domestic dog, a species coaxed into hundreds of distinct types through selective breeding by humans over the past two centuries. The research team also created a genome-wide catalog of about 2.5 million specific genetic differences — known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs — across various dog breeds. Now, an international team of researchers led by Broad scientists has applied those initial results to develop a tool for efficiently mapping disease genes in dogs. The tool, described in the September 30 advance online edition of Nature Genetics, may also help quicken the pace of efforts to understand the molecular basis of human diseases. “Dogs are a unique species, domesticated and bred by humans who selected for traits like shape, size, color, and personality,” sa
