# What kind of dog do I have? (with pics!)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-do-i-have-with-pics/311035>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 4, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-do-i-have-with-pics/311035 "2005-07-04T17:38:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![stochastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@stochastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stochastic)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-dog-do-i-have-with-pics/311035/42 "2005-07-14T01:47:19Z")

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> [@tygerbryght](#):
>
> "  
> I studied the genetics of the hollyhock’s flowers for 4 years, beginning when I was nine. I studied both color and structural genetics of Great Danes for something like 20 years, and about year 15 told my genetics prof that I believed that mammals had a HOX (then newly described in insects, now long since changed to HAX) gene because of a constellation of skeletal malformations I had observed in a bloodline. I got laughed at, because that was 1985, some years before it was discovered that the HAX gene was almost ubiquitous. I’m not always that prescient, alas, but genetics is a subject in which I have many years of practical experience, coupled with a fair amount of formal study.

Sorry for the threadjack… I think it’s neat that you the pinned the HOX genes’ involvement in mammalian skeletal development at such an early date, a hypothesis that has been proven for many members of the HOX gene family. However, the HAX genes are a diffferent family of genes and AFAIK have yet to show any role in skeletal development. Please feel free to prove me wrong 🙂 (FWIW, I did my Ph.D. work on HOX genes)

Now, back sorta on topic… I did a PubMed search to see if anyone is looking at variations in homeotic genes (of which HOX genes are a subset of) as a means of explaining the variation in canine body structure and found this entry:

> **[The canine homeobox gene MSX2: sequence, chromosome assignment and genetic...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11419342/?dopt=Abstract)**
>
> The MSX2 gene encodes a homeodomain transcription factor important for normal head and face morphogenesis. MSX2 is expressed in key craniofacial structures during development and mutations in the human gene give rise to various craniofacial...

the article found that that for the one homeotic gene they studied, MSX2, the sequence was highly conserved among 10 different breeds, and therefore probably plays no role in differentiating the breeds. However, there are dozens of homeotic genes, so genetic variation may be found in one of many other candidates. Why is this germane to this discussion? Conceivably, once we know the combination of gene variations that lead to a certain breed of dog, one could use this info to develop a laboratory test to determine exactly what the lineage your mutt may be. Or, even, one day we may alter these sequences to make genetically engineered mutts…some twisted mind may come up with a dog having the legs of a greyhound, the body of a bulldog and the head of a chihuahua!

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