Biochemical variants in dogs.

Biochemical variants of constituents of the blood are considered to be valuable markers of genes in studies on population genetics. They are being used for that purpose for human populations and also for populations of laboratory and farm animals. The present report is concerned with biochemical variants in dogs. In dog breeding an increasing interest is being shown in the origin of the breeds, in their mutual relations, and in the relationship with wild canidae. Since biochemically detectable variation can offer valuable information in this respect, an overall investigation of the possibilities for the detection of these variants has been made. In this study, eleven constituents of the blood of dogs were found to demonstrate clearly detectable genetic polymorphism. The genetic systems for these eleven constituents are described. The observed frequencies of the variants are reported.