These early studies “highlighted both the potential for what we could learn from dogs, but also the fact that we needed larger sample sizes to really do that,” says Eleanor Carlson, a geneticist at the UMass Chan School of Medicine and the Broad Institute. So the researchers began creating large-scale citizen science projects, looking for DNA samples and data from dogs across the United States.
Pet owners rose to the challenge. A Lifetime Study of Golden RetrieversThe company began recruiting volunteers in 2012 and has tracked more than 3,000 dogs to identify genetic and environmental risk factors for cancer, which is particularly common in this breed. Since 2019, Dog Aging ProjectThis is a long-term study of health and longevity that has enrolled nearly 50,000 dogs.
Dr. Karlsson’s own project, Darwin’s Dogwhich now numbers 44,000 dogs and counting. (About 4,000 of those dogs have had their genomes sequenced.) Researchers are mining the data for clues to bone cancer, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and other traits. Early detection: Although many behavioral traits, such as sociability and trainability, are heritable, they are widespread in the canine kingdom and The predictive power of varieties is poor A dog’s personality.
This spring, Dr. Carlson unveiled a much-anticipated expansion: Darwin’s Cat“I’m a total cat person — never had a dog,” she said. Later, in an email, she added: “I’d love to know if ‘cat sleeping on your head’ is influenced by genetics.”
Data drivers
These projects have been possible because genome sequencing has become faster and cheaper. But it has also been “tremendous enthusiasm” from pet owners, said Dr. Ostrander, who is leading the Dog10K Project, effort Towards a comprehensive global catalogue of canine genetic diversity.
