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Episodes
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
Sunday Dec 29, 2024
The Norwegian Lundehund is an iconic dog breed indigenious to Norway, where was used for decades to hunt Puffins. It is known for its unique specialized traits like extra toes and ear-closing abilities. A ban on Puffin hunting, followed by some catastrophic events (e.g., disease outbreaks), reduced the population to just a handful of individuals. This resulted in spectacularly high levels of inbreeding (80%), and the breed was plagued with low fertility and health problems. To save this breed from extinction, the Norweian Lundehund club, with the support and cooperation of the Norwegian Kennel Club, initiated a groundbreaking program to save the breed by restoring genetic diversity in a program for genetic rescue.
This podcast discusses this remarkable effort to return Lundehund to health by restoring the genetic diversity lost over the decades. To do this, they developed a genetic management plan to introduce genes from carefully selected Nordic breeds such as the Norwegian Buhund, Icelandic Sheepdog, and Norbottenspets into the Lundehund gene pool. DNA analysis using over 170,000 SNPs revealed increase in observed heterozygosity and a decrease in runs of homozygosity in the first-generation crosses, signaling a successful genetic intervention. The offspring of backcrossed dogs retained the morphological traits that make this breed unique as well as general breed type.
This project is a compelling demonstration of how dedicated breeders, working together with scientists and the Norwegian Kennel Club, can restore the genetic health of breed suffering from extremely high level of inbreeding in just a few generations. They are doing this while navigating the delicate balance between maintaining the Lundehund's unique characteristics and ensuring its genetic health. This endeavor serves as a pioneering model for other breeds facing similar genetic bottlenecks. Join us as we delve into the science, dedication, and collaborative spirit that underpin this inspiring tale of preservation and hope for dog breeds worldwide.
(More coming soon...)
(Melis et al. (2022) Genetic Rescue of the Highly Inbred Norwegian Lundehund. Genes 2022, 13(1), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13010163.)
Download pdf:
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/13/1/163#
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