Generation of Breed Specific Signatures
Finding signature differences
Specific combinations of variations at various sites suggest the presence of
particular breeds in a dog's lineage (family tree); these combinations are known as breed signatures. The further back a breed was introduced in a dog's lineage, the smaller the portion of the breed signature detected.
Differences among breed signatures are remarkably subtle, and their detection becomes more challenging at the grandparent and great-grandparent levels.
The Wisdom Panel™ MX Mixed Breed Analysis report presents the breed signatures that are detected in your dog's DNA.
Dilution of Chromosome Segments
Chromosomes are passed down from parent to offspring—one chromosome from the mother and one from the father—such that a mixed breed dog will inherit, on average, half of its chromosomes from each parent, a quarter from each grandparent, and an eighth from each great-grandparent. However, this is a random process and it is possible that the offspring will inherit more chromosomes from one grandparent than from another. In the example above, the outbred parent has received more of its chromosomes from its Chow Chow grandparent (yellow) than from the Boxer (red). (Please note, the illustration only shows 3 of the 39 chromosome pairs for each dog for simplicity.)