Scientists Spot A Rare Breed Of Singing Dogs, Which Were Speculated To Be Extinct, In The Wild After 50 Years

Scientists thought the singing dogs in the world are already extinct.

May

• Published in Animal Stories
• October 4, 2021

It was 50 years ago when the New Guinea singing dog was found in the wild. But recently, scientists unearthed an astonishing discovery.

Presently, the rare dogs are typically held in captivity in conservation centres and zoos . But when researchers journeyed to one of Papua's remote areas, they found the long-lost musical canines.

Scientists initially observed them in 2016. Then in 2018, they went back to acquire some DNA samples and validate their findings.

This ancient breed is famous for its extraordinary howls and vocalisations. During the '70s some wild dogs were caught.

Two hundred of them are still in captivity and are the only descendants left. Sadly, with their small number, they were severely inbred.

In 2016, New Guinea Highland Wild Dog Foundation scientists discovered 25 dogs on conservation land, close to a gold and copper mine.

After two years, they fearlessly went to high altitudes, under severe weather and extreme terrain. They gathered blood and tissue samples for the dogs' health check up.

After the DNA analysis, researchers found out that the dogs had a 70% genetic overlap with the wild canines in captivity.

What's more, the highland canines had more genetic variation. On the other hand, the ones in captivity only descended from eight of their wild ancestors.

According to U.S. geneticist, Elaine Ostrander, the heavy inbreeding was reason behind losing a lot of genetic diversity. This process went on for generations.

The singing dogs are closely related to dingoes.

They are also a relative of the Asian dogs that migrated to Oceania around 3,500 years ago. It is possible that these ancient dogs were split off from a common ancestor at the time.

As a result, the number of breeds like the Akita and Shiba Inu increased. The scientists will continue their studies to unearth the mysteries surrounding the ancient breed.

May