The ancestry of “wild dogs”: using genetics to uncover the dingo
Dingoes are a controversial animal Australia – both native predator and declared pest.
For decades there has been rising concern about the threat of dingo x dog hybridization. Early genetic research suggested that as few as 1% of wild dingoes in southeastern Australia were “pure”. More recent studies suggest that whilst many dingoes in southeastern Australia have some dog ancestry they are still predominately dingo, and that feral dogs are virtually absent from the wild.
This project uses new genetic technologies to build our knowledge about the origins and identity of dingoes in Australia. With your help, we can continue this important work by providing funds for DNA extraction, DNA testing and genetic analysis on samples sent into the lab from all around Australia by private citizens, scientists, conservation groups, wildlife managers, pest officers and government.
To contribute samples to this research, please get in touch directly with Dr Kylie Cairns.
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