September 2024

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain New research co-led by Cornell University examines thousands of years of Arctic sled dog ancestry and reveals when and how Siberian and Alaskan sled dogs’ DNA mixed. “There was a real concern from Siberian breeders—who were mostly racing their dogs—that they were sending out their dogs’ DNA samples for analysis, more for the context of health traits, and they were getting breed ancestry information back that said their dog was not 100% Siberian husky,” said Heather Huson, a former sled dog racer who is now associate professor of animal science at Cornell. “Many (ancestry tests) were saying the Siberian huskies were a certain percentage Alaskan husky or Alaskan sled dog. The massive genomic survey of the Siberian husky has revealed that sled dogs descended from two distinct lineages of Arctic canids and originated in the northeastern Siberian Arctic generations earlier than previously thought. The study also showed that approximately half of all Siberian huskies bred for racing have introgression with European breeds. Huson is co-corresponding author of “Comparative Population Genomics of Arctic Sled Dogs Reveals a Deep and Complex History,” which is under embargo until Sept. 14 in Genome Biology and Evolution. The other corresponding author is Tracy Smith, senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Huson said her team’s findings on genomic history are an important tool in the effort to sustain ancient lineages, such as the Siberian husky, and their unique evolutionary identity. “It was thought that there was this one Arctic lineage,” Huson said, “but what we identified was that there are these two. One leads to our modern Siberian husky—smaller body size and stature—and the other one leads to this larger body size and to what we see now as Greenland sled dogs, and potentially the Alaskan malamutes.” Understanding the genomic history is essential, the authors wrote, for developing effective policies and best practices for breed management. “The more genetic diversity you have, generally the better your genetic health,” Huson said. “The slightly admixed racing Siberian huskies bring this genetic diversity to the population yet confound the original Arctic lineage which produced early Siberian huskies.” For their research, researchers collected and analyzed DNA samples (or genomic data) from 344 dogs—mostly registered Siberian huskies but also Alaskan malamutes, Alaskan sled dogs, Chukotka sled dogs and one each of German shepherd, golden retriever, German shorthaired pointer, Samoyed and Saluki. The researchers found that at least two distinct lineages of Arctic dogs existed in ancient Eurasia at the end of the Pleistocene era, which ended approximately 11,700 years ago. This finding pushes back significantly the origin of sled dogs in the northeast Siberian Arctic, “with humans likely intentionally selecting dogs to perform different functions,” the authors wrote. That kept concurrent breeding populations relatively reproductively isolated. More information: Tracy A Smith et al, Comparative population genomics of Arctic sled dogs reveals a deep and complex history, Genome Biology and Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae190 Citation: Genomics reveals sled dogs’ Siberian lineage (2024, September 15) retrieved 27 September 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2024-09-genomics-reveals-sled-dogs-siberian.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Read More

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea announced plans Thursday to compensate famers and others in the country’s dwindling dog meat industry before a formal ban goes into effect in 2027, a move that is drawing opposition from both farmers and some animal rights activists. South Korea’s parliament passed a landmark bill in January that will ban slaughtering, breeding or selling dog meat for human consumption after a three-year grace period. It will be punishable by 2-3 years in prison. The Agriculture Ministry said that farmers would receive compensation starting from 225,000 won ($170), and rising up to 600,000 won ($450) per dog if they agree to shut down their businesses early. An association of farmers rejected the offer, saying in a statement that they cannot relinquish their dogs for such low prices. Farmers earlier called for 2 million won ($1,505) per dog. They’ve said the ban infringes on their right to choose their own jobs and will aggravate their economic difficulties. The association said that farmers will keep fighting even if they end up being jailed. Earlier this week, they called for the law to be amended to extend the grace period and add appropriate compensation plans. Sangkyung Lee, a campaign manager at the Korean office of the anti-animal cruelty group Humane Society International, called the South Korean announcement “an important milestone in this historic ban that will see the ban through to completion and end our country’s dog meat era for good.” But Lee said his office is “disappointed” at the South Korean plan because it would pay farmers based on the number of dogs they have, “potentially increasing dog breeding to get more money from the scheme and more puppies being born into suffering.” The Korean Animal Welfare Association, a Seoul-based animal rights group, said that local governments must strictly monitor farms to prevent them from increasing their number of dogs through breeding. It praised the government for trying to take “reasonable” steps to phase out the industry but criticized farmers for seeking excessive compensation. Dog meat consumption is a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula. It’s also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia and some African countries. But South Korea’s dog meat industry has drawn more attention because of the country’s reputation as a cultural and economic powerhouse. It’s also the only nation with industrial-scale dog farms. South Korea’s anti-dog meat campaign received a big boost from the country’s first lady, Kim Keon Hee, who repeatedly expressed her support for a prohibition. She was subjected to withering criticism and crude insults during demonstrations by farmers. Surveys have found that that around one in three South Koreans opposes the ban, though most people now don’t eat dog meat. Vice Agriculture Minster Park Beomsu told reporters that government studies found that about 466,000 dogs are currently being raised for food across South Korea. He said officials will try to convince farmers to voluntarily phase out dog breeding ahead of the ban. After the ban comes into force, Park said, the government plans to facilitate adoptions for the remaining dogs or move them to care facilities rather than euthanize them. The agriculture ministry said butchers will also be compensated, while local authorities will be responsible for dismantling dog farms and slaughterhouses. Former farmers and butchers will also get low-interests loans if they pivot to other agricultural businesses. The ministry said authorities will also offer financial assistance to traders and restaurant owners to shut down their businesses and find new jobs. Read More