A little-known breed of dog disappeared after the colonization of America by Europeans: woolly dogs had such thick fur that the Indians used it to make blankets, writes AFP.

A study published Thursday in the prestigious journal Science presents their story through genetics.

Scientific research was conducted by examining the remains of one of the last representatives of these woolly dogs, which were bred by Salish populations originating from the western regions of the United States and Canada.

The coat of this dog, nicknamed Lamb, was sent to the Smithsonian Institution, now a famous but then young organization, in 1859. By the 2000s, this fur was almost forgotten.

But several interviews later showed that these dogs occupied an important place in the societies of the indigenous population of the region and were considered full members of their families.

The fur of woolly dogs, which became extinct in the early 20th century, was sheared like sheep’s wool and used to make blankets and baskets that were used for spiritual or ceremonial purposes.

“I’ve always been interested in why and how pre-colonial indigenous dogs in the Americas disappeared after the arrival of Europeans,” said Audrey Lin, an expert in molecular biology and lead author of the study.

When and where dogs were first domesticated is a matter of debate, but it is clear that when the first tribes settled in the Americas 15,000 years ago, they brought their dogs with them.

But only a few centuries after the arrival of Western settlers, these races disappeared. Modern American dogs today carry very few genetic traces of their distant “cousins”.

Genetic analyses

Audrey Lin discovered the wool of the “mutton” dog while working on her doctoral dissertation at the Smithsonian Institution, and was surprised to find that it had not been studied before.

According to genetic analysis, this breed separated from other dog lines about 5,000 years ago, which is consistent with archaeological traces found in the region.

“We found signs of inbreeding depression, which shows (…) that reproduction was very controlled over a long period of time,” explained the American researcher. The discovery is in line with Native American accounts of the breeding of woolly dogs on islands near coastal areas or using cages.

A study of the “sheep” dog showed that it was 85% pre-colonial, although it continued to exist for decades after the introduction of European breeds, supporting the idea that Native Americans were trying to maintain their isolation.

After analyzing 11,000 genes in the sheep’s genome, scientists discovered 28 genes that are associated with hair growth and hair follicle regeneration – markers that are also present in woolly mammoths.

Additional analyzes revealed that the studied individual of Baranina lived only 1.5 years and that it was fed molasses and corn before switching to a carnivorous diet while traveling through the region under the protection of ethnographer George Gibbs.

Uprooted culture

But the history of these dogs would remain incomplete without the evidence of representatives of the Salish population, who have long been ignored by Western researchers.

The prevailing opinion is that the interest of indigenous communities in their dogs decreased after the introduction of textiles. But according to Michael Pavel, co-author of the study and responsible for preserving the traditions of the Skokomish tribe, this hypothesis is very far from the truth.

“I learned that our population went through a very difficult stage in its history, which was characterized by colonization, genocide and assimilation. All aspects of our life related to our traditional culture, rituals and history have been uprooted,” he added.

Woolly dogs were bred only by high-ranking women, which caused deep indignation of Christian settlers.

In addition, smallpox, introduced by Europeans, wiped out up to 90% of the population of Salish villages, leaving the survivors with few resources to care for their animals – even those they loved dearly. (Source: Agerpres / Photo: Dreamstime.com)