A Journey Through the History of the Dog and its Genome

Course overview

The domestication of dogs is, arguably, the most successful scientific experiment undertaken in human history, resulting in millions of canids representing 350 breeds, village and feral dogs and mixed breeds. Key to understanding canine variation is the study of modern and ancient canine genomes from around the world. Our studies encompass evolution, genomics and genetics as we seek to understand how dog breeds have been shaped by humans, what accounts for the striking differences in appearance and behavior observed between breeds and, most importantly for our purposes today, why some breeds are prone to specific diseases. Our studies show that most breed-associated traits are controlled by small numbers of genes of large effect and that the study of such genes advances studies of canine and human health.