Posted on 11/21/2005 6:18:45 PM PST by blam
Only 40 genes separate your pet dog from a wolf
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 22/11/2005)
The difference between an obedient, friendly dog and a big bad wolf could be down to as few as 40 genes, according to a study into tameness.
The research also found that to adapt to a life on the farm or in the home takes many more changes in gene activity than that required to love humans.
A Swedish team compared two groups of farm-raised silver foxes in Siberia, one where for 40 generations the foxes have been selected for their friendly nature, while the other was raised in the farm but not selected for tameness. The comparison was reported yesterday in the journal Current Biology by Dr Elena Jazin and colleagues at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and the Norwegian University of Life Science.
In the tame foxes, they found surprisingly limited changes in gene activity in the brain compared with the non-selected silver foxes. Foxes have about 25,000 genes.
When compared with wild foxes both groups had 3,000 differences. There were a similar number of differences with dogs revealing that being friendly to humans takes far fewer genetic changes than being domesticated.
Ah! but 41 genes separate you pet dog from a dogfish..
(no wolf ever looked this goofy . . . she's sitting with her back to a 20 kt wind on St. Simons Island beach . . . her ears have become airborne . . .)
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Or pubbies from rats.
I just glanced into the den & saw two wire hair fox terriers and a yorkie sprawled around the wife's feet. No wolves there, but, the unannounced are met by three yapping banshees. ;>)
I have two dogs in my profile picture, a female MinPin and a male Mastiff.
I wonder if more than 40 genes separate THEM?
(If I could remember how, I'd post that picture here...)
I guess this means a wolf - not an ape - is my ancestor??? NOT!
I have a half-German Shepherd, half-Collie mongrel - she's more like a werewolf.
There's a picture of an unusually attractive rat in post 12. At least a couple steps up from Helen Thomas.
Judith Anne's dogs
blam's Dogs
Your dog is a immature, friendly, obedient, different-looking, not-likely-to-attack-other-pack-members, Omega WOLF.
Get used to it and realize what you have and you will have a much better man's-best-friend DOG.
She isn't goofy she's adorable and she knows it.
Blam love dogs.
Dogs love blam.
Life is good.
Beautiful Labs..
They're vicious, I tell 'ya. Pure maneaters . . . never turn your back.
What are they?
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