For thousands of years, a breed of white, woolly dog played an important and cultural role for Coast Salish people in Western Canada but when colonists moved in the animal quickly became extinct, a new study says.
DNA analysis on the pelt, coupled with traditional knowledge from the Coast Salish people, provided new insights on the dog once bred for its unique woolly coat.
The study in the journal Science, released Thursday, says the dog was believed to be introduced in the Americas about 15,000 years ago, and the Coast Salish peoples carefully maintained the genetic integrity of the animal leading up to colonization.
Coastal archaeologist Iain McKechnie from the University of Victoria, co-author of the study, says the dogs were pampered by the Coast Salish, fed a special diet and their coats were regularly combed.
The animals thick woollen undercoat was shorn for weaving blankets and textiles, but increasing settler colonialism forced the decline of the tradition in the 19th century and the Indigenous dog population was lost.
Coast Salish spinning and textiles expert Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa, another co-author of the the study, says the knee-high woolly dog had a sharp, foxlike face, and its fur could grow up to six inches or 15 centimetres long.
The original article contains 618 words, the summary contains 195 words. Saved 68%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
For thousands of years, a breed of white, woolly dog played an important and cultural role for Coast Salish people in Western Canada but when colonists moved in the animal quickly became extinct, a new study says.
DNA analysis on the pelt, coupled with traditional knowledge from the Coast Salish people, provided new insights on the dog once bred for its unique woolly coat.
The study in the journal Science, released Thursday, says the dog was believed to be introduced in the Americas about 15,000 years ago, and the Coast Salish peoples carefully maintained the genetic integrity of the animal leading up to colonization.
Coastal archaeologist Iain McKechnie from the University of Victoria, co-author of the study, says the dogs were pampered by the Coast Salish, fed a special diet and their coats were regularly combed.
The animals thick woollen undercoat was shorn for weaving blankets and textiles, but increasing settler colonialism forced the decline of the tradition in the 19th century and the Indigenous dog population was lost.
Coast Salish spinning and textiles expert Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa, another co-author of the the study, says the knee-high woolly dog had a sharp, foxlike face, and its fur could grow up to six inches or 15 centimetres long.
The original article contains 618 words, the summary contains 195 words. Saved 68%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Or, "Whitey wrecked everything"