S4.04 - Dogology: The genetics of our four-legged friends
Hello, and welcome to Genetics Unzipped - the Genetics Society podcast, with me, Dr Kat Arney. In this episode we’re bringing you some scientific ‘tails’ -literally - as we explore the genetics of dog breeds and behaviour. Is there a gene for being a Very Good Dog or having a boopable snoot? And what happened over tens of thousands of years to turn a fearsome wolf into a pug in a party hat?
Once upon a time, some wolves made the decision to get a bit closer to the strange-smelling humans in their neighbourhood. A few tens of thousands of years later, and dogs are a fundamental part of life in most cultures around the world, whether as working animals or as pets.
As a confirmed dog person, I’ve been wanting to make an episode exploring what we know about the genetics of our four-legged friends for a very long time - and I make no apologies for any dog puns in this episode - so I sent our stay-at-home roving reporter Georgia Mills off for a virtual walkies via the medium of Zoom to follow up some expert leads...
Elinor Karlsson: From wolves to dogs and back again
First, Georgia caught up with Elinor Karlsson at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Broad Institute. She and her team are looking into all aspects of dog genetics, from discovering what gives different breeds their distinctive traits to finding out how genetic variations contribute to psychological characteristics.
They’re the lab behind Darwin’s Dogs - part of the bigger Darwin’s Ark project - which is working with pet owners and gathering doggie DNA samples from all over the world to understand what makes dogs tick and get insights into animal and human health. And, as she tells Georgia, she’s also interested in the question of how we got from wolves to dogs, and what happens when wolves and dogs start interbreeding again - plus, solving the mystery of the missing ancient American doggos.
But before Georgia got to asking her about her work, she had to address a confusing issue - that Elinor had appeared with a cat on the video call, rather than a dog…
Click here for the full transcript of our interview with Elinor…
Jessica Hekman: Is there a ‘good dog’ gene?
Jessica Hekman, the self-styled Dog Zombie, works with Elinor Karlsson and her team studying the brains and genes of dogs to understand canine behaviour, including trying to figure out why certain dog breeds behave in certain ways. She’s also the owner of three dogs - Fitz the Border Collie, Dashiel the English Shepherd and Jenny, a genetic pick’n’mix - some of whom you’ll hear making cameo appearances in this interview. As far as she’s concerned, based on her own personal experience, breed certainly does influence behaviour.
Click here for the full transcript of our interview with Jessica…
Jeff Schoenebeck: Building a boopable snoot
One of the most important elements of a dog is its nose - and it is very important indeed to boop that snoot. But when it comes to the length of the snoot itself, from long-nosed greyhounds to flat-faced pugs, genetics has a big part to play.
Jeff Schoenebeck from the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh has made it his mission to understand how genetic variations contribute to the wide range of shapes and sizes of dog skulls, using CAT scans, as well as lab tests.
Click here for the full transcript of our interview with Jeff…
That’s all for now. Thanks to Georgia Mills for her dogged reporting, and a special big hug for Ferdy - my parents’ idiot cocker spaniel who I haven’t seen in far too long thanks to lockdown. Do follow us on Twitter, @GeneticsUnzip to see his gorgeous face, and please do share pictures of your own Very Good Boys and Very Good Girls with us to help cheer us through the February greyness.
We’ll be back next time taking a look at genetic superheroes - and why there might be a couple of superhero traits lurking within us all.
For more information about this podcast including show notes, transcripts, links, references, music credits and everything else head over to geneticsunzipped.com You can find us on Twitter @geneticsunzip and please do take a moment to rate and review us on Apple podcasts - it really makes a difference and helps more people discover the show.
Genetics Unzipped is written and presented by me, Kat Arney. It is produced by First Create the Media for The Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies in the world dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. You can find out more and apply to join at genetics.org.uk. Our theme music was composed by Dan Pollard, and the logo was designed by James Mayall, and audio production was by Hannah Varrall. Thanks for listening, and until next time, goodbye.
Sound effects licensed from Epidemic Sound
All dog images have been happily (and plentifully) provided by the staff at First Create The Media.
Ferdy & Kat: Kat Arney, All rights reserved.
Dexter: Sarah Hazell, All rights reserved.
Darcey: Emily Nordvang, All rights reserved.
Ruffy: Shannon Parker, All rights reserved.
