A 120-y time series of genomes reveals the consequences of closed breeding in German Shepherd Dogs
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Abstract
By analyzing historical genomes of German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) from throughout the 20th century, we showed that population declines during the Second World War and the use of popular sires led to the progressive loss of genetic diversity and increased mutational burden. These patterns extend to other breeds established from GSDs, including wolfdogs, due to limited numbers of founding individuals. Combined, our results indicate that strong artificial selection and inbreeding by humans during the second half of the 20th century to incorporate or maintain specific aesthetic criteria, rather than the formation of the breed itself, is responsible for the genomic health declines in contemporary GSDs. Keywords: inbreeding, selection, hybridization, canine, breed
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