Researchers have discovered the gene that determines the baldness of several hairless dog breeds, and say it may offers new insight into the development of skin and hair in other animals – including humans [New Scientist].
Mexican hairless, Peruvian hairless and Chinese crested dog breeds all share the same mutation, researchers say, which probably appeared about 4,000 years ago in Mexican hairless dogs and eventually passed through breeding into the other two dog breeds, Leeb says. “It’s extremely improbable that an identical mutation would have arisen three times,” he says [Science News].
Posts Tagged ‘baldness’
Hairless Dogs Give up the Genetic Secret of Their Bald Glory
