Illustrative photo
Dogs were indispensable to the Inuit during their dispersal through the arctic regions of North America. They also held to their original canine varieties and avoided adopting others, for fear of losing their precious qualities.
The ancestors of the current Inuit , who had occupied a good part of the Arctic regions of the North American continent, would doubtless not have succeeded without the help of their sled dogs. As a result, they placed a very high value on their animals and refused to adopt other breeds , as revealed in a study published on November 27 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Dozens of researchers took part in this work, which included analyzing the bones of 391 dogs and the DNA of 921 others (including wolves) who have lived over the past 4,500 years .
Research that found that, from a genetic point of view, dogs that lived with the Inuit 2000 years ago differed from those that were native to the region. In other words, the Inuit took their own dog varieties with them and made sure not to mix them with local ones . Why ? Because they were looking for very specific aptitudes and characteristics that they could not find in other breeds of dogs. Only theirs were tough and strong enough to pull the sleds over great distances and in difficult climatic conditions . Canids that also helped them hunt and protect themselves .
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