Extinct wolly dog kept isolated from European dogs

A reconstruction of Mutton, a 19th century woolly dog whose pelt is preserved in the Smithsonian Institution. Illustration: Karen Carr/ The Smithsonian

Several indigenous groups, such as the Coast Salish in the Northwestern US, bred and maintained dogs with a distinctive woolly undercoat, and hair from these dogs was used in weaving. However, the dog wool–weaving tradition declined during the 19th century, and the dog breed was lost.  

Reconstruction of Mutton
Images: Karen Carr

In a new study in the journal Science, led by anthropologists at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, scientists have analyzed genomic and isotopic data from the pelt of the only known specimen of a Coast Salish woolly dog named Mutton collected in 1859.  Mutton is the only known example of an Indigenous North American dog with dominant precolonial ancestry postdating the onset of settler colonialism.

The researchers identified candidate genetic variants potentially linked with their distinct woolly phenotype. They integrated these data with interviews from Coast Salish Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and weavers about shared traditional knowledge and memories surrounding woolly dogs, their importance within Coast Salish societies, and how colonial policies led directly to their disappearance.

Stockholm University professor part of the study

Besides anthropologists, several of the researchers behind the article are experts in ancient genomics. One of them is Love Dalén, Professor at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, a joint venture between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

Love Dalén
Photo: Sören Andersson

“The most exciting result is that by mapping this dog's genome we can show that the indigenous people of the Salish region of Northwestern America managed to keep their woolly dogs isolated from European dogs for many generations. Other unique dog breeds in North America were quickly intermixed with European dogs. It seems that the indigenous people of the Salish region actively worked to keep their woolly dogs isolated,” says Love Dalén.

Read the scientific article in Science: The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge
Read editorial article in Science: Curly haired ‘woolly dogs’ of the Pacific Northwest were no myth
Read article in The Conversation: Mutton, an Indigenous woolly dog, died in 1859 − new analysis confirms precolonial lineage of this extinct breed, once kept for their wool

Read more about the Centre for Palaeogenetics