Study Reveals Genetic Secrets of Extinct Woolly Dogs

The breed, significant to Indigenous Coast Salish communities, diverged from other dogs 5,000 years ago and remained distinct even after European colonization.

• Scientists have unraveled the genetic makeup of the extinct woolly dogs, a breed that held cultural significance for Indigenous Coast Salish communities in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.
• The woolly dogs' lineage diverged from other dogs around 5,000 years ago and remained distinct even after European colonists arrived in the region.
• The only known woolly dog specimen, named Mutton, has been housed in the Smithsonian’s collection since his death in 1859.
• Mutton's DNA revealed that 85% of it was linked to breeds that existed in the Pacific Northwest before the arrival of Europeans.
• The extinction of the woolly dogs is believed to be linked to imported diseases and colonial efforts at ethnic cleansing and assimilation.

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