Overview

• Analysis of 92 ancient and modern Qimmit genomes published July 10 in Science confirmed a distinct Greenland sled dog lineage with minimal wolf or European dog ancestry.
• Genetic data divided the dogs into four regional clusters that align with Greenland’s main Inuit cultural groups, reflecting shared human-dog migration patterns.
• Close genomic ties to a 3,700-year-old Alaskan canid suggest a rapid movement of Inuit and their sled dogs across the Arctic around 1,000 years ago.
• Despite signatures of low overall diversity, the sled dogs exhibit limited inbreeding and remain healthy working animals in harsh Arctic conditions.
• Population surveys record a decline from about 25,000 Qimmit in 2002 to 13,000 in 2020, highlighting an urgent need for conservation measures guided by the new genetic baseline.