People usually have stereotypes about different breeds of dogs: Rottweilers and pit bulls are aggressive, while Labradors and golden retrievers are extra friendly.
However, a genetic study published recently in the journal Science involving more than 2,000 dogs and paired with 200,000 survey answers from owners demonstrates that the widespread assumptions are mostly unfounded.
Undeniably, many behavioral traits can be inherited, but the modern concept of breed offers only partial predictive value for most types of behavior, and has nothing to do with how affectionate or quick-tempered a dog can be.
Photo: Pixabay 照片: Pixabay
“While genetics plays a role in the personality of any individual dog, a specific dog breed is not a good predictor of those traits,” said Elinor Karlsson, director of the Vertebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The team sequenced the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed-breed dogs to search for common genetic variations that could predict behavior, and combined this information with surveys from 18,385 pet-owner surveys from Darwin’s Ark, an open-source database of owner-reported canine traits and behaviors.
Overall, breed explained just 9 percent of variation in behavior, with age a better predictor of some traits.
(Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times)
羅威那犬和比特犬屬於攻擊性犬種，拉布拉多和黃金獵犬則格外友善，這都是眾所周知的刻板印象。
然而，《科學》期刊近來發表了一項基因研究。這份涉及兩千多隻狗，搭配狗主人二十萬個答覆的調查，顯示大部分的廣泛假設都是沒有根據的。
不可否認地，許多行為特徵可以遺傳，但品種的現代概念僅對大多數類型行為提供部分預測價值，幾乎跟狗會多麼溫順或者暴躁易怒無關。
麻省理工學院和哈佛大學布洛德研究所脊椎動物基因組學主任卡森說：「儘管遺傳在任何一隻狗的個性中都發揮作用，但特定犬種無法有效預測那些特徵。」
研究團隊對兩千一百五十五隻純種狗和雜種狗的DNA進行測序，尋找可以預測行為的常見基因變異，並將這些資料與來自「達爾文方舟」一萬八千三百八十五名狗主人的調查數據結合研究。達爾文方舟是一個由主人回報犬類特徵和行為的開源資料庫。
整體來說，品種只能解釋犬類百分之九的行為差異，而年齡是部分行為特徵的較佳預測指標。
(中央社)
China commemorated 80 years since the end of World War II last week with a massive military parade against a backdrop of a disputed history about who ultimately defeated Japan. The issues, including Japan’s reckoning with its wartime record in China, are bound to flare again in December, a flashpoint anniversary of the mass killing in Nanjing by invading Japanese troops. Below is an explainer about what the different — and disputed — points of view are. WHAT IS CHINA’S VIEW? For the Chinese government sitting in Beijing, this is a clear-cut issue: China sacrificed 35 million people in a heroic and brutal struggle
Rarely does Nature present such a striking contradiction as the one found in Lencois Maranhenses National Park. Located along Brazil’s northeastern coast, the park unveils breathtaking scenery, where rippling sands meet crystal-clear lagoons. Under the sun’s golden glow, the waters glitter in shades of turquoise and emerald. So surreal is this spectacle that visitors might wonder if they’re gazing at a digitally modified photo rather than a living landscape. Were it not for the unique geographical and climatic conditions, such a marvel would not exist. Unlike typical deserts, Lencois Maranhenses receives a substantial amount of rainfall, particularly during the rainy season
A: Wow, animated fantasy film “KPop Demon Hunters” (KDH) has become Netflix’s most viewed film ever. B: Isn’t that the movie about a K-pop girl group secretly serving as demon hunters? A: Yeah, and its theme song “Golden” was No. 1 on the Billboard chart. B: The hit performed by HUNTR/X — the girl group from KDH — has inspired a “Golden challenge,” as celebrities are racing to cover its sky-high notes. A: Cool, let’s try it out. A: 哇，動畫電影《KPop獵魔女團》近日已成為網飛上觀看次數最多的電影。 B: 這部電影不是關於某韓流女團，成員秘密擔任惡魔獵人的故事？ A: 對，主題曲《Golden》更勇奪告示牌單曲榜冠軍呢！ B: 該曲由電影中的女團「HUNTR/X」所演唱，甚至還掀起一股全球《Golden》大挑戰︰一堆名人挑戰翻唱該曲飆高音。 A: 酷喔我們也來挑戰吧。（By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
In a major step to combat carbon emissions, Norway’s pioneering “Northern Lights project” is set to expand its carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities. Backed by energy giants and the Norwegian government, this collaborative project is working to increase its annual carbon storage capacity from 1.5 million to over five million tons. Northern Lights focuses on capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources across Europe and securely storing them underground. Captured CO2 will be liquefied and transported by ship to the storage facility located off the coast of Norway. It will be injected through pipes into geological formations about 2,600m below the
RSS