Centuries-old DNA has confirmed that Greenland’s sledge dog Qimmit is the oldest yet known domesticated dog breed, a discovery that sheds more light on their close relationship with the region’s indigenous Inuit people.
The findings, published in the journal Science, also reveal fresh insights into the history of Inuit migration and their Arctic adaptation.
Researchers, including those from the Ilisimatusarfik University in Nuuk, Greenland, assessed genomes from over 90 dogs across Greenland spanning the past 800 years, capturing data from both ancient and modern canines.
They then compared the genome data with those of over 1,900 published dog genomes.
Scientists discovered that the Qimmit breed forms a distinct clade with other ancient Arctic dogs, most notably a 3,700-year-old Alaskan dog.
Sledge dogs have been a central part of Arctic life for over 9,500 years.
While many Arctic dog breeds have been replaced, mixed with other dogs, or shifted into a domestic role, Greenland’s Qimmit has uniquely preserved its traditional role as a working sledge dog, researchers found.
However, researchers found that current genetic differentiation among regional dogs in Greenland mirrors the cultural and linguistic divisions of the island’s indigenous peoples.
Also, despite European colonisation of Greenland, there is minimal European ancestry in present-day Qimmit.
This could be due to an overall isolation of the dogs in Greenland and more modern preservation policies.
The latest findings could provide a key guide for preserving this ancient breed amid threats posed by rapid cultural and climate change.
“These insights into the Qimmit provide a baseline for levels of inbreeding and introgression that can serve as a foundation for informed management aimed at the preservation of these remarkable dogs,” researchers wrote.
“Studies such as this demonstrate the relevance of paleogenomic insight into current conversations and decisions centered around conservation and preservation of culturally significant species,” they said.
Researchers also found that the iconic breed’s genetic continuity, despite thousands of years and great geographic distances, supports the theory of a rapid Inuit migration across the North American Arctic.
The study unravelled evidence of two distinct migrations of dogs into Greenland, with data that indicate an earlier-than-expected arrival of people to the region.
Scientists hope the findings may also lead to new ways of studying the human impact on domestic animal evolution.
“The results of this study present the foundation for future work using time-series genomes from regional populations to study the local evolution of animals shaped by humans and environments,” they wrote.
