Name: Kaitlin Marie C.
Status: Student
Age: 17
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: January 2004
Question:
Have scientists been successful in establishing genetic markers in different
dog breeds, in order to show differences in dog breeds at a molecular level?
Replies:
Yes! There is an ongoing Dog Genome Project. Different dog breeds have different
personalities as well as some inherited diseases that are specific to a breed. The
scientists of the canine genome project are working to identify genetic markers linked
to behaviors and diseases found specifically in dogs. See the following links for more
info.
Christine Ticknor, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve University
The Dog Genome Project is alive and well! Yes, they are finding some interesting
markers in dogs and also finding that dogs and humans share many genes. Dogs are
being used as model organisms in the search for disease genes. It turns out that
dogs suffer from some of the same diseases humans do and that we have the same
markers. Very fascinating stuff. I am not sure if they have gotten to the point
where they can identify breeds purely at the molecular level. Just like humans, dogs
are all one species and there is not much variety between breeds. There are no markers
that can purely distinguish one race of human from another, and I am not sure there are
for dogs.
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