Question

Genomic differences in purebred cocker spaniel vs. purebred greyhound?

Between wolf vs. purebred cocker spaniel and purebred greyhound?

Answer 1

A dog's body contains trillions of cells containing a nucleus. In dogs, 38 pairs of autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) plus the two sex chromosomes (X and Y) for a grand total of 78. During conception, a dog gets one copy of each chromosome from each parent.

Dogs have approximately three billion base pairs in each cell. Genes are defined by a unique sequence of nucleotides which can be as few as a hundred bases or as many as a million. The sequence of each gene is called its “code.” For example, the code from one gene may lead to proteins that add color to a hair shaft, the code from another gene produces enzymes to digest food, and a third gene will direct the formation of antibodies that fight diseases.

Studies are being carried out in genetic mapping of the dog genome. Their genomic difference can be understood from their appearance, from weighing less than 30 pounds (albeit with a tendency to gain more) with a soft, wavy coat in many colors and patterns, long ears and the most expressive eyes in dogdom, as in the case of Cocker spaniel to long, narrow head; small ears; dark eyes; a long, muscular neck that is slightly arched; a broad, muscular back; a deep chest; a long, fine, tapering tail; and a short, smooth coat that can be any color or pattern, as in greyhound. They even show difference in their behavioural patterns.

Early beliefs that farmers adopted a few docile, friendly wolves that later became our beloved, modern-day companions are proved wrong in recent studies. Researchers suggest that dogs and wolves evolved from a common ancestor between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago, before humans transitioned to agricultural societies. The researchers also found differences across dog breeds and wolves in the number of amylase (AMY2B) genes that help digest starch. Recent studies have suggested that this gene was critical to domestication, allowing early dogs living near humans to adapt to an agricultural diet.