Why corgis have short legs

More ». June 27, A single evolutionary event is responsible for the short, curved legs that characterize certain dog breeds, according to a new study. The unexpected discovery provides clues about how physical differences may arise within species and suggests new approaches to understanding a form of human dwarfism.

Dogs today have a wide range of body types and behaviors because of their unique history of selective breeding by humans. This diversity makes them ideal for studying genes that affect body size and shape. Disproportional dwarfism, or chondrodysplasia, affects more than a dozen domestic dog breeds, including the dachshund, corgi, Pekingese and basset hound.

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Discover deals on home essentials and electricals. The short legs make it easier to duck down as needed and nip at the ankles of livestock but also put the joints and back of these dogs at risk for problems. Many people believe that corgis are dwarf dogs but they are not. Their torsos are actually medium and only their limbs are disproportionately short for their bodies.

The physiologic process that caused the condition is calcification of the growth plates of long bones due to excessive amounts of a particular protein. The term for that is chondrodysplasia. Pekingese, Scottish terriers, basset hounds, and dachshunds are also among the breeds affected by chondrodysplasia.

Elaine Ostrander conducted a study to determine the exact cause of the condition in dogs. Her team studied DNA samples from dogs. The dogs included 76 breeds — several with chondrodysplasia and the rest without the condition. Dogs affected by chondrodysplasia have an additional copy of the gene that codes for the fibroblast growth factor 4 FGF4 , which is a protein that promotes growth. The researchers suggest that the genetic insertion activates the growth of the long bones at the wrong time during fetal development.

As a result, affected dogs are born with disproportionately short limbs. The trait is caused by a random mutation, so it was passed on only to some animals. So, how did the entire breed end up with such a distinctive physical characteristic?