Overview
- A genomic analysis led by the American Museum of Natural History finds most modern dogs carry low-level post-domestication wolf ancestry, with nearly two-thirds of purebreds showing nuclear wolf DNA from crosses roughly 1,000 generations ago.
- Wolf ancestry varies by breed and function, running higher in large and working dogs; levels range from about 0.2% in chihuahuas to 23–40% in deliberate wolf–dog hybrids, with some large guardian breeds showing no detectable signal.
- The ancestry study drew on more than 2,700 genomes spanning the late Pleistocene to today, indicating introgressed wolf DNA likely influenced traits such as body size, olfaction and certain temperament descriptors.
- A University of Cambridge study of 1,300 golden retrievers linked behaviors to specific loci and identified 12 genes that also associate with human emotional and cognitive traits, including PTPN1 and ROMO1.
- Scientists emphasize genetics confer predispositions rather than destiny, suggesting the results could guide tailored training and veterinary care, including potential approaches for anxiety-related problems.