Kazakh scientists decipher the Tazy dog breed’s gene pool. Now, this animal’s DNA is being collected across the country. The work has been going on for 2 years. According to the researchers, this will allow the international cynological community to recognize the Tazy as a separate breed. In the meantime, they are part of the Eastern Sighthounds.
“In order the research proves to be effective, scientists need to collect genetic material from at least 300 dogs. So far, the work is half done. But it continues. First of all, scientists should estimate viability of this breed population and calculate the inbreeding coefficient. That is, it is necessary to determine if Tazy is purebred,” said Mark Bryushko, a correspondent.
“We issue a certificate to each participant. It is a dog's genetic passport. Now, I will show you. I hid the surname here. What is it? The DNA of living beings contains certain regions that do not code for any protein, but have repeats, they are called the tandem repeats. And, they are unique to everyone. They have different lengths. And, they are passed on from parents to generation. So, we can establish how dogs are related to each other,” said Kira Bespalova, a researcher at the Institute of Genetics and Physiology.
Another problem arises here. There is still no official data in Kazakhstan on the number of Tazy dogs. Registration of dogs is conducted on a voluntary basis. They are often kept outside the city, in private homes.
“Many people think that if they register a dog, they will have to pay for it. In Kazakhstan, we roughly keep records. This is an unofficial number. There are about 3,000 dogs. The dogs still get lost and get into accidents,” said Inna Nazarenko, Chief Cynologist of the Kansonar National Association of Public Unions of Hunters.
In addition, the Tazy will have to be compared with other representatives of the Eastern greyhounds. Negotiations are now underway with Iranian colleagues to provide Kazakh scientists with the DNA of their Saluki. А project is planned until 2023. However, it is worth the wait. After all, for the first time, we will find out the mysteries of the most amazing breed of dogs in Kazakhstan.
