The Alaskan Sled Dog – A Genetic Breed Apart adapted from The National Human Genome Research Institute

Heather Huson has a passion for sled dogs. She grew up participating in sled-dog racing, qualifying twice for the U. S. team, and competing in the sport's world championship of sled-dog racing in 1995 and 2001.
Now the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) graduate student has found another place for sled dogs: in her genetics research.
Huson is the lead author of a study on the genetic origins of sled dogs. The study also includes authors from NHGRI's Cancer Genetics Branch and her university advisor. In their analysis of 199 Alaskan sled dogs and 141 other breeds, the study found that Alaskan sled dogs represent a distinct genetic breed. They are characterized by performance and behavior rather than appearance.
"The Alaskan sled dog presents a case in which a genetically distinct breed of dog has been developed through the selection and breeding of individuals based solely on their athletic prowess," Huson said. "Interestingly, this continual out-crossing for athletic enhancement has still led to the Alaskan sled dog repeatedly producing its own unique genetic signature. Indeed, the Alaskan sled dog breed proved to be more genetically distinct than breeds of similar heritage such as the Alaskan Malamute and Siberian Husky."
Dogs have been used for pulling sleds in the arctic region for hundreds of years. Over the past 50 years, sled-dog racing has become a high performance sport that has influenced the kind of dog that is harnessed into a team. In the modern era, the working sled dog has been bred with fleet-footed breeds like the English Pointer and the German Shorthaired Pointer to enhance the athletic performance desired.
Consequently, the animals that Huson and others in her sport assemble as a team can be dissimilar in appearance. To look at Huson's sled-dog team, for example, you might suspect her dogs to be not a common breed. Some have short fur, others long fur, while some have a trace resemblance to Irish Setters and others to German Shepherds. But, depending upon the type of race, it's sprinting ability or race endurance that are the traits sought by mushers such as Huson. It helps if the animal has a strong work ethic as well.
In the study, Huson and her colleagues sampled sled dogs from eight kennels, rating them for speed, endurance, and work ethic, using established criteria specified for the distinct racing styles of sprint and distance. An assessment of work ethic was made by observing the tension of the tugline that attaches an individual dog's harness to the main team line. These attributes were correlated with genetic information taken from each dog and compared to likely ancestor breeds.
The new insights about performance and breed origin were derived from a DNA analysis of 96 markers in the canine genome. The researchers compared Alaskan sled dog DNA with data from 141 similarly genotyped purebred dog breeds. Their findings confirmed that the Alaskan sled dog has a unique molecular signature and that the genetic profile is sufficient for identifying dogs bred for sprint versus distance.
Moreover, the researchers could identify contributions from existing breeds to the Alaskan sled dog profile. The Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky contribute enhanced endurance, the Pointer and the Saluki are associated with enhanced speed and the Anatolian Shepherd demonstrates a positive influence on work ethic.
According to the study, this research has set the stage for mapping studies aimed at finding genes that are associated with athletic attributes integral to the Alaskan sled dog. Huson also notes that canine performance research is instructive in gaining genomic insights about metabolic systems important for muscle rehabilitation, which could help people suffering from physically disabling diseases or traumatic injuries.

Drag each label to the correct location on the image.
Imagine you are summarizing “The Alaskan Sled Dog: A Genetic Breed Apart” as part of a research project on the topic. Determine which details should be included in a summary of the text and which details should be omitted from the summary.

Huson's research proves that
sled dogs are unique by virtue
of their performance abilities.

Breeds such as the Alaskan
Malamute and the Siberian
Husky have contributed genes
to the sled dog makeup.

The research will allow isolation
of the genes that mark the
attributes of sled dogs and may
benefit human research.

Sled dogs do not necessarily
look similar because appearance
is not a direct function of
performance.
Traits such as speed, endurance,
and work ethic have been
selectively bred into sled dogs
from various breeds.