HankTheTank and Ownedby3alpacas Journal

[Pearce Pastures]

That is very interesting. Okay, now most folks have probably figured out that I am research/Science dweeb by now so....I just HAD to look this up to see how accurate it is and how it works.

Breed genetics concept scientifically credible

The concept of determining a dogs breed background by analyzing its DNA is grounded in science. In a paper published in the journal Science in 2004, canine geneticist Elaine Ostrander and colleagues described a technique they developed for identifying dog breeds based on genetic markers. Ostrander, who currently works at the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, described the approach, along with her broader work on the canine genome, in an article published in 2007 by American Scientist.

The markers the researchers used are not genes themselves, but repeating sequences of DNA known as microsatellites. The commercial tests use a different kind of marker known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms abbreviated SNPs and pronounced like "snips that are small mutations within the genome. Whether using microsatellites or SNPs, the markers, taken together, form signatures particular to each breed.

Because the identification technique is not based on genes, it does not specifically relate to physical or behavioral traits that characterize particular breeds. In other words, the technique doesnt recognize a bulldog by finding the genes that give it a snub nose, beefy head and squat stature.

Consequently, breeds that are vastly different in appearance might, by chance, have similar genetic signatures, which helps explain some head-scratching results. For example, portions of the signatures of Chihuahuas and some mastiff breeds are maddeningly similar, according to Dr. Angela Hughes, a veterinarian and geneticist at Mars Veterinary.

On the other hand, some breed combinations truly result in dogs that resemble other breeds entirely. Hughes recalled a case of a dog that looked like a black Labrador retriever that tested as a golden retriever mix, which made sense to her as a geneticist.

You can lose that longer coat in one generation, she explained. Goldens carry a black gene. They dont express it in their coat because the yellow gene blocks all black. They do express it in their nose, eye rims and the pads of their feet. But the golden is recessive. So if you breed a golden retriever to a dog that doesnt have the genes for yellow and long hair, youre likely to have a black dog with a short coat.

In a similar vein, test results suggesting pairings of large with small dogs may raise doubts but such combinations arent impossible, Hughes said. She explained: The larger female will lie down for the mating.

Breeds have distinctive genetic signatures owing to the fact their members are genetic isolates that is, bred from a limited population of dogs. The more unique the breed characteristics, the easier to identify a breed's members via their DNA. Explained Dr. Urs Giger, a veterinarian who heads the clinical program in medical genetics and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) School of Veterinary Medicine: The more youre inbreeding ... that will clearly make the genes among the dogs more similar.

A mixed-breed dog whose parents or grandparents are purebred generally is easier to identify than a dog descended from generations of mixes.

Giger said improvements in DNA-based breed identification may contribute to the development of genetic tests for medical conditions. The mixed-breed test is the first complex-trait test and thereby is showing the way (for) testing for other complex traits, like hip dysplasia, in the future, he said.

The science of dog-breed detection may be solid, but that doesnt mean any given DNA test is reliable. Its accuracy depends upon the quality of information upon which the analysis is based.

For example, when the Canine Heritage test debuted in early 2007 as the first such test on the consumer market, it detected 38 breeds. Results for any dog with a background outside of those 38 breeds would have been inconclusive.

Wisdom Panel launched in fall 2007 with 134 breeds. Now Canine Heritage is up to 120 breeds, while Wisdom Panel lists 203.

Isn't that fun!

 

[Ownedby3alpacas]

That is very interesting. Okay, now most folks have probably figured out that I am research/Science dweeb by now so....I just HAD to look this up to see how accurate it is and how it works.

Breed genetics concept scientifically credible

The concept of determining a dogs breed background by analyzing its DNA is grounded in science. In a paper published in the journal Science in 2004, canine geneticist Elaine Ostrander and colleagues described a technique they developed for identifying dog breeds based on genetic markers. Ostrander, who currently works at the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, described the approach, along with her broader work on the canine genome, in an article published in 2007 by American Scientist.

The markers the researchers used are not genes themselves, but repeating sequences of DNA known as microsatellites. The commercial tests use a different kind of marker known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms abbreviated SNPs and pronounced like "snips that are small mutations within the genome. Whether using microsatellites or SNPs, the markers, taken together, form signatures particular to each breed.

Because the identification technique is not based on genes, it does not specifically relate to physical or behavioral traits that characterize particular breeds. In other words, the technique doesnt recognize a bulldog by finding the genes that give it a snub nose, beefy head and squat stature.

Consequently, breeds that are vastly different in appearance might, by chance, have similar genetic signatures, which helps explain some head-scratching results. For example, portions of the signatures of Chihuahuas and some mastiff breeds are maddeningly similar, according to Dr. Angela Hughes, a veterinarian and geneticist at Mars Veterinary.

On the other hand, some breed combinations truly result in dogs that resemble other breeds entirely. Hughes recalled a case of a dog that looked like a black Labrador retriever that tested as a golden retriever mix, which made sense to her as a geneticist.

You can lose that longer coat in one generation, she explained. Goldens carry a black gene. They dont express it in their coat because the yellow gene blocks all black. They do express it in their nose, eye rims and the pads of their feet. But the golden is recessive. So if you breed a golden retriever to a dog that doesnt have the genes for yellow and long hair, youre likely to have a black dog with a short coat.

In a similar vein, test results suggesting pairings of large with small dogs may raise doubts but such combinations arent impossible, Hughes said. She explained: The larger female will lie down for the mating.

Breeds have distinctive genetic signatures owing to the fact their members are genetic isolates that is, bred from a limited population of dogs. The more unique the breed characteristics, the easier to identify a breed's members via their DNA. Explained Dr. Urs Giger, a veterinarian who heads the clinical program in medical genetics and pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) School of Veterinary Medicine: The more youre inbreeding ... that will clearly make the genes among the dogs more similar.

A mixed-breed dog whose parents or grandparents are purebred generally is easier to identify than a dog descended from generations of mixes.

Giger said improvements in DNA-based breed identification may contribute to the development of genetic tests for medical conditions. The mixed-breed test is the first complex-trait test and thereby is showing the way (for) testing for other complex traits, like hip dysplasia, in the future, he said.

The science of dog-breed detection may be solid, but that doesnt mean any given DNA test is reliable. Its accuracy depends upon the quality of information upon which the analysis is based.

For example, when the Canine Heritage test debuted in early 2007 as the first such test on the consumer market, it detected 38 breeds. Results for any dog with a background outside of those 38 breeds would have been inconclusive.

Wisdom Panel launched in fall 2007 with 134 breeds. Now Canine Heritage is up to 120 breeds, while Wisdom Panel lists 203.

Isn't that fun!

that actually is very interesting

 

[Southern by choice]

congrats on you permit!!!! and you thought no one caught that!

 

[HankTheTank]

congrats on you permit!!!! and you thought no one caught that!

Thanks Southern Everyone in NY....stay off the roads!!!

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Congrats!
Have fun and be careful!!!!!!

 

[bonbean01]

X 2

No texting while you drive

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

X 2

No texting while you drive

Yes! Bad things happen for sure.

 

[marlowmanor]

Don't try to read and drive either. Trust me on this one, no good comes from it. :/ Let's just say I tried some not so smart things when I was first driving. Another good piece of advice it to always know your surroundings and what is going on around you. I would think this would be especially good advice for NY.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Congratulations on your permit! Be safe.

 

[HankTheTank]

Thanks everyone