Small Dogs Came from the Middle East | The Institute for Creation Research
Small Dogs Came from the Middle East

Although dogs come in many sizes, scientists have found some specific genetic markers for small dogs. A recent survey of these markers across many wild and domesticated dogs seems to have provided some answers for when and where the smaller breeds developed. And what the researchers discovered comes as no surprise in light of biblical history.

In their study published in the online journal BMC Biology, four researchers led by UCLA’s Melissa Gray found that the same genetic markers for small dogs are found both in domesticated dogs and “in Middle Eastern gray wolves.”1 Since there are so many modern varieties among small domestic dogs, it is apparent that a wolf with small stature, containing a remarkable inherent potential for variety, was first removed from a larger wolf population thousands of years ago. Afterward, other traits―like snout size and coat texture―were expressed in different descendant breeds. Thus, it appears that early on in the history of domesticated dogs, small dogs were separated out.

“All small dogs possess these diagnostic mutations,” according to the researchers.2 They found that a mobile DNA sequence, called a SINE, had been inserted into a particular place in the genome of small dogs. They also found a characteristic single DNA base change nearby, amidst a growth factor gene. But insisting that either the SINE insert or the base change came about through “mutation” is not scientific, since its origin was not observed. Some single base changes are known to be the result of pre-designed genetic variation, not mutations. Likewise, mobile DNA elements like SINEs probably do not incorporate randomly. If they did, they would insert into vital genes and disrupt them, and this occurs only rarely. Instead, they appear to be parts of a pre-engineered system that generates certain varieties within an animal kind.3

The biological mechanisms that generate variation within the dog kind are not all mutational, but appear well-designed. For example, using only three different small but strategic genes, 80 different varieties of dog fur texture have been specified among various breeds.4 That appears to be the result of engineering, not undirected genetic change. It makes sense that the Creator would have outfitted creatures with these inherent capacities for variation so that they could fulfill His purpose for them to branch out, multiply, and fill various environments across the earth.

The researchers wrote that “domestic dogs have rapidly diversified in body size.”2 This conclusion is consistent with the shorter time spans given in the creation-Flood model, which holds that all of today’s dog breeds have diversified in only the few thousands of years since the Genesis Flood, not over the 10,000 or so years of random selection proposed by evolutionists.

It is now agreed that “wolves were the ancestors of dogs.”5 It seems there has been too much migration and interbreeding between dogs and wolves to genetically resolve the accurate location of the first large dog’s origins. However, there is no data from genetics or archaeology that precludes a Middle East origin for large dogs, too.

This study, like a recent analysis of apples,6 confirms the geography and the timing of the creation-Flood model, whereby all of today’s dog breeds began a relatively short time ago in the Middle East―the resting place of Noah’s Ark, according to Genesis 8:4.

References

  1. Viegas, J. Small Dogs Originated in the Middle East. Discovery News. Posted on news.discovery.com February 23, 2010, accessed February 25, 2010.
  2. Gray, M. M. et al. 2010. The IGF1 small dog haplotype is derived from Middle Eastern gray wolves. BioMed Central Biology. Posted on biomedcentral.com February 24, 2010, accessed February 26, 2010.
  3. Thomas, B. Evolution’s Best Argument Has Become Its Worst Nightmare. Acts & Facts. 39(3): 16-17.
  4. Thomas, B. Dog Coat Varieties Come from a ‘Surprisingly’ Elegant Program. ICR News. Posted on icr.org September 8, 2009, accessed February 26, 2010.
  5. Vilà, Carles et al. 1997. Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog. Science. 276 (5319): 1687-1689.
  6. Thomas, B. Where Did Apple Trees Come From? ICR News. Posted on icr.org, December 22, 2009, accessed February 26, 2010.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on March 9, 2010.

The Latest
NEWS
The Origin of Metabolism
Metabolism is the totality of chemical reactions that manage all of the molecular, material, and energy resources within an organism. Part of a creature’s...

NEWS
Bumblebee University
Entomologists, biologists who study insects, continue to uncover amazing discoveries regarding the intellect of bees1,2 Now, biologists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Struck: Risking It All for the Truth | Creation.Live Podcast:...
In this unique episode, host Trey talks with three key people involved in creating Struck—an upcoming miniseries that shows the special ties between...

NEWS
Giant Ants Buried in Receding Flood Rocks
Evolutionary scientists are baffled by a large ant fossil found in British Columbia, Canada. Known as Titanomyrma, this same ant had been found previously...

CREATION PODCAST
Why Do Animals Hibernate? | The Creation Podcast: Episode 45
The word hibernation is often used in reference to deep sleep, but what is it really? What kinds of creatures hibernate? How does this demonstrate the...

NEWS
Thalattosuchians—Extinct Crocodile Relatives?
The Thalattosuchia are an extinct group of marine crocodylomorphs (a group that includes the crocodiles) that allegedly transitioned from land to water...

NEWS
The Star-Nosed Mole
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a fascinating semi-aquatic mammal found in eastern Canada and the United States. Moles (placental mammals)...

NEWS
The Hexagon: An Indication of Order and Design in Nature
In nature, noncoincidental patterns and geometry exist everywhere. But the number six appears to overshadow nature’s mathematical landscape. Whether...

NEWS
Neanderthal Crab Bake
The evolutionary science community said it perfectly in their headlines: “Proof that Neanderthals ate crabs is another 'nail in the coffin'...

CREATION PODCAST
Is There Any Truth to Dragon Legends? | The Creation Podcast:...
Dragons are considered by many to be made-up creatures in fairytales and legends, but our ancestors produced many descriptions and depictions of "dragons,"...