Dingoes and dogs look similar — until you compare their genomes. A study in PNAS examines this seemingly counter-intuitive outcome and explains the genetic divergence between the two species.
“The genetic difference might seem counter-intuitive because dingoes and domestic dogs share a common ancestor,” says Sally Wasef, a geneticist from Queensland University of Technology and a co-author of the paper. “However, the key factor is the period of isolation. Dingoes have been isolated from other domestic dogs for over 3,000 years, which has led to distinct evolutionary paths.”
Domestic dogs have undergone selective breeding, while dingoes evolved in the wild. Dingoes generally avoided domestic dogs, and therefore didn’t breed with them.
“This isolation and lack of selective breeding pressures have preserved their unique genetic makeup, making their divergence logical and expected,” says Wasef.
Although the scientists had anticipated the domestic-dingo divergence, the study still yielded surprises. First, they were able ...
