Darwin ’ s Dogs Project Takes Closer Look At Pets ’ DNA And Behavior

NATICK (CBS) – “What I love about Daisy is she’s just a cute little hound dog,” said 10-year-old Josh Corliss of Natick. Josh and his mom, Mary Ann, didn’t always know what kind of dog they really had. “When we first got Daisy we thought she was a Redbone Coonhound and a mix of some sort,” Mary Ann told WBZ-TV. Well, she’s a mix alright. (Image credit: Darwin’s Dogs) “We found out that our Redbone Coonhound is actually half Bloodhound, and about a third Boxer and another third Heinz 57,” said Mary Ann while looking at a colorful pie chart, which breaks down the different breeds carried in Daisy’s DNA. The Corliss family was able to map out the tale of Daisy’s DNA thanks to Darwin’s Dogs. “It’s crowd science,” said Mary Ann. But, the DNA testing is only half of the story. Daisy, one of the thousands of dogs in the Darwin’s Dogs project. (WBZ-TV) Daisy is among thousands of dogs enrolled in the project. Along with the DNA sample (retrieved through Daisy’s saliva), Mary Ann and Josh are asked to complete multiple surveys about Daisy’s traits and behaviors. “I don’t really get it now, but whenever I’m a little older… I’ll think this is really cool,” said Josh. Elinor Karlsson, the UMass Medical School researcher behind Darwin’s Dogs. (WBZ-TV) To get a better explanation of the project we spoke with Elinor Karlsson, the ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Family & Pets Health Local News Syndicated Local Darwin's Dogs Dr. Mallika Marshall Elinor Karlsson Local TV Source Type: news