Posted on 12/07/2005 5:14:45 PM PST by neverdem
Researchers have decoded the dog genome to a high degree of accuracy, allowing deep insights into the evolutionary history not only of Canis familiaris but also of its devoted companion species, Homo sapiens.
The dog whose genome has been sequenced is Tasha, a female boxer whose owners wish to remain anonymous, said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, a biologist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge who led a large group of colleagues in the DNA sequencing effort. Their findings are being reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
The world's dog population numbers some 400 million, divided into about 400 breeds. The researchers chose to sequence Tasha's genome because boxers are quite inbred, easing the decoding task, and because since she is a female, they did not have to bother with a Y chromosome, whose long palindromic regions make it particularly hard slogging.
One insight that has emerged from having a fairly complete dog genome, in addition to those for humans and mice, is that researchers can begin to see the essence of what makes a mammal. The same 5 percent of DNA is conserved in all three species, and this presumably is evolution's basic toolkit for constructing a generic mammal.
Of this conserved tool kit, some 2 percent consists of known genes and the rest of something else, presumably the regulatory elements of DNA that control the operation of the protein-encoding genes, Dr. Lindblad-Toh said.
The conserved genes probably include those deployed during development to construct the organism, But many regulatory elements also seem to be needed, so as to orchestrate an elaborate succession of genes being switched off and on as new tissues and organs are generated.
Another finding that has emerged from a three-way comparison of dog, mouse and human is that genes for brain function seem to have...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I don't think the situation with the immune system in the Labs is QUITE as bad as in Goldens, the major problems seem to be with hips and eyes and oddball cancers.
I subscribe to the Golden Retriever News because there's just no equivalent magazine for Labs, I mean with good solid medical and training advice (Just Labs is just a photo mag for doting owners).
My girl was originally training in obedience and was probably ready for CD, but my trainer said she thought she would be happier in agility. She was . . . but now that she's settled down a bit we might go back and try for it. If we can get the running down, she might be able to do CDX now. I think JH is achievable (she already has her UKC Started Retriever title) but there's no way this sweet girl is EVER going to get even a single conformation point. A cousin of mine is an AKC judge, we were at a family reunion and I asked her as a favor to watch my dog trot out and back. When she stopped laughing, she told me all the things that are "wrong" with Shelley - she's got sort of a conformation front end but a field trial hind end (feet set down too close together in back - although of course that's great for the dog walk) and a very fieldy head. And of course she's TOO SKINNY!
You can see what we're dealing with here -
That's asking a lot. My dogs are considered the brains of the operation. I just pay the vet bills and drive.
She has a lovely face, and she looks wonderful for twelve.
Had a shepherd growing up. She was a GREAT dog, but she was a sucker for skunks and porcupines. She always *thought* she would win. Evidence suggests she never did!
susie
She actually died at about 12 yrs and 7 months. She was only sick for 6 weeks. She came from some really long lived lines. I wish all of my dogs could be as healthy into old age as she was. In fact, I hope I am as healthy into old age as she was!
You're lab looks great to me, but I happen to not care as much for the conformation body type on labs. Your dog looks like she could work!
susie
The last time we were out retriever training, we set up a 75 yard mark across a draw or gully from the line - the draw was deep, a little damp, and overgrown with grass, probably 18" high. When I gave the word Shelley took off from the line like an arrow, went sailing down into the draw, and she must have stepped in a hole because she tumbled end over end TWICE. She didn't miss a beat or swerve an inch from her line, kept right on going and grabbed that duck . . . her legs were still churning as she went pinwheeling through the air. And she pulled up completely sound - just a tough little girl.
When she leaves the line, you kind of expect a sonic boom . . . the first time she ever saw a duck fall down, she knew that was what she was born to do.
Her first mark on her first hunt test.
We keep her on the skinny side to save her joints, on account of all the jumping impact in agility.
What an adorable Rottie! And such a sweet expression (no doubt anticipating more treats?)
God Bless Ronald Reagan.
.....;^)
The little guy is a Hurricane Katrina refugee from New Orleans I adopted about 1-2 months ago. True to his heritage, he's a born looter, pilferer and thief; however his big brother keeps him in line.
She was the BEST. A big cuddlebug who had an amazing disposition. We lost her the night of the last Superbowl. She went to sleep and never woke up. Nothing obviously wrong as she was in good spirits that whole weekend.
Whenever I hear anyone badmouth Rotties, I simply know that have never met one like my Hannah. I don't know a single person who met her that didn't come away with a new(favorable) opinion of Rotties.
Susie, I must say I've learned more about artificial collection and insemination than I ever thought I would. Chilled semen can be shipped relatively economically, and with relatively little bureaucratic interference throughout the U.S. and Canada. But sending frozen semen, in a liquid nitrogen capsule, to Europe will burn a hole in your wallet, and the regulations are horrific.
And yes, those pups are Weimaraners. Weimar, Germany, where the breed originated, isn't far from the Polish border. We might have a "sending coals to Newcastle" thing going on. More shots of the pups, and their father, who I own, on my home page.
Dog genome decoded, leads scientists to describe dog behaviour programming as: "If you can't eat it or screw it, piss on it."
Calling someone a b*tch (or son of one) now takes on new meaning.
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