# Is there an unusual amount of genetic diversity in dogs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-unusual-amount-of-genetic-diversity-in-dogs/554626>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 22, 2010, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-unusual-amount-of-genetic-diversity-in-dogs/554626 "2010-09-22T10:59:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-unusual-amount-of-genetic-diversity-in-dogs/554626/21 "2010-09-23T15:02:07Z")

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> [@Sailboat](#):
>
> excerpted from the Science of Heredity section of [California Karelians](http://www.karelianbeardog.us/kbd_science.html). [Bolding and some typo corrections are mine.]
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > the scientists expanded their study to other canids, or members of the canidae family of mammals that include dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes. What they found was that wolves have it, coyotes have it, red foxes and gray foxes have it. But as soon as you take one more evolutionary step out and sequence a bear, a skunk, or a raccoon, it’s gone.
> 
> That website credits [this Science Daily article](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219192823.htm) as a source.

Interesting, in that formerly wild foxes being bred for tameness have started to evolve domesticated traits, in the comparatively short span of 60 years: [Domesticated silver fox - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_fox)

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