Researchers have recently discovered a reason why dogs have the largest variation in size of any land animal species. As it turns out, more petite dogs, such as the miniature Labradoodle, have a strand of DNA that regulates their growth gene, blocking its effects altogether. This DNA was probably inherited from a miniature wolf about 15,000 years ago, although it is no longer present in the wolf population. Human intervention has aided the spread of this DNA throughout the domestic dog world.
“All dogs under 20 pounds have this—all of them,” said one researcher, University of Utah biologist K. Gordon Lark. Learning how canine growth is controlled could potentially improve understanding of 200 to 300 diseases dogs have in common with humans, including high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Since dogs and humans also share the same environment, influences of an environmental nature that trigger disease in either species can also be noted. This will add to data from past studies and possibly leading to cures and treatment of these diseases in both dogs and people.
Information compiled from Seattle Times, AP, LA Times and Baltimore Sun
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