Dog Genes Tell Surprising Tales: A History of Dog Breeds and Why It Matters 🐕🧬
Dogs have been at humanity’s side for roughly 20,000 years, and in that time they have become the most varied mammal on Earth — from tiny lapdogs to towering working breeds. In this lecture, Elaine Ostrander, NIH Distinguished Investigator at the National Human Genome Research Institute, draws on decades of genomics research to trace how domestication, migration and selective breeding produced the extraordinary diversity of modern dogs. Her laboratory has studied the genomes of hundreds of breeds, uncovering the genetic changes that define body shape, coat, behaviour and disease — work that also carries important lessons for human health.
What to expect:
🐕 A genomic history of the dog — How studies of more than 350 breeds are reconstructing the 20,000-year story of domestication and the emergence of the breeds recognised today
🧬 The genes behind breed-defining traits — The specific genetic changes that shape size, skull form, coat type and behaviour, and how selective breeding concentrated them so quickly
🔬 Why dog genetics matters for people — How the dog genome serves as a powerful model for understanding inherited disease, cancer and complex traits in humans, from a leading figure in the field
Admission is free, but tickets must be booked in advance.