carpe decorum

Not so Old Dogs

A new study examined the genetics of over 400 purebred dogs. These DNA studies uncovered surprising connections between breeds, identified which are more closely related to ancient dogs, and which were of recent vintage. [The research found an] unexpected and geographically diverse cluster of breeds—including the Siberian husky, the Afghan hound, Africa's basenji, China's chow chow, Japan's akita, and Egypt's saluki—are most closely related to dog's ancient wolflike ancestors. Also, the origins of the oldest breeds tantalizingly hint at early human migration patterns.