Dog Genetics - Level 4 Unraveling Mixed-Breed Mystery Mutts with
DNA Tests By Eve Adamson It sounds too good to be true — can a
simple test can tell you exactly what purebreds make up your
lovable mixed-breed mutt? You’ve always wondered, speculated,
even told others what you think your dog is. You’ve examined his
eyes, ears, tail, and coat and compared him to purebred dogs
you’ve seen. You hesitate whenever someone asks, “What kind of
dog is that?” Is it true that you can really know for sure? In
2005, when geneticists first completed a full genome sequence of
a Boxer — a picture of all the dog’s genetic material —
scientists realized what they could do with that kind of
information. They went on to sequence other breeds, revealing to
the world the genetic picture of a dog and all the minute
genetic variations that distinguish dogs from, say, humans or
mice, and also the variations that distinguish breeds from one
another. Carrying the sequencing a few steps further, scientists
could find genetic variations