Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes

Behavioral genetics in dogs has focused on modern breeds, which are isolated subgroups with distinctive physical and, purportedly, behavioral characteristics. We interrogated breed stereotypes by surveying owners of 18,385 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and genotyping 2155 dogs. Most behavioral trait...

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Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 376; no. 6592; p. eabk0639
Main Authors Morrill, Kathleen, Hekman, Jessica, Li, Xue, McClure, Jesse, Logan, Brittney, Goodman, Linda, Gao, Mingshi, Dong, Yinan, Alonso, Marjie, Carmichael, Elena, Snyder-Mackler, Noah, Alonso, Jacob, Noh, Hyun Ji, Johnson, Jeremy, Koltookian, Michele, Lieu, Charlie, Megquier, Kate, Swofford, Ross, Turner-Maier, Jason, White, Michelle E, Weng, Zhiping, Colubri, Andrés, Genereux, Diane P, Lord, Kathryn A, Karlsson, Elinor K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 29.04.2022
Subjects
Animal breeding
Animals
Behavior
Behavior Disorders
Behavior Patterns
Breeding
Conformation
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Dogs
Domestic animals
Etiology
Genetics
Genome-Wide Association Study
Genomics
Herding
Heritability
Hunting
Interpersonal Competence
Medical Services
Nucleotide sequence
Pets
Phenotype
Phenotypes
Polls & surveys
Polygenic inheritance
Psychiatry
Science Activities
Science Projects
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Summary:Behavioral genetics in dogs has focused on modern breeds, which are isolated subgroups with distinctive physical and, purportedly, behavioral characteristics. We interrogated breed stereotypes by surveying owners of 18,385 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and genotyping 2155 dogs. Most behavioral traits are heritable [heritability ( ) > 25%], and admixture patterns in mixed-breed dogs reveal breed propensities. Breed explains just 9% of behavioral variation in individuals. Genome-wide association analyses identify 11 loci that are significantly associated with behavior, and characteristic breed behaviors exhibit genetic complexity. Behavioral loci are not unusually differentiated in breeds, but breed propensities align, albeit weakly, with ancestral function. We propose that behaviors perceived as characteristic of modern breeds derive from thousands of years of polygenic adaptation that predates breed formation, with modern breeds distinguished primarily by aesthetic traits.
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Author contributions: E.K.K. conceived of the project; K.Mo., J.M., M.A., H.J.N., C.L., K.A.L., and E.K.K. designed the project; K.Mo., J.H., X.L., J.M., B.L., L.G., M.G., M.A., E.C., J.A., J.J., M.K., C.L., K.Me., R.S., J.T.-M., D.P.G., K.A.L., and E.K.K. performed data acquisition; K.Mo., J.H., X.L., J.M., B.L., L.G., M.G., E.C., N.S.-M., H.J.N., K.Me., R.S., J.T.-M., Z.W., D.P.G., K.A.L., and E.K.K. performed analyses; K.Mo., J.H., J.M., L.G., Y.D., and A.C. developed software; K.Mo., J.H., X.L., B.L., D.P.G., K.A.L., and E.K.K. wrote the manuscript; and J.H., M.A., N.S.-M., H.J.N., C.L., K.Me., and M.E.W. edited the manuscript.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abk0639