Click the dachshund to flip through our short-legged pups gallery. Photo: flygraphix/Flickr
Who are you calling shorty?
Dogs like dachshunds, basset hounds and corgis are famous for their stumpy little legs. Now researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Maryland have figured out where the low-slung dogs get their stubby stems from, reports National Geographic News.
The researchers discovered that 19 short-legged dog breeds all share a single genetic mutation, which suggests that most short-legged dogs descended from a single stunted ancestor. It's possible that the gene could have arisen as many as 30,000 years ago, long before humans started breeding dogs for physical traits.
The researchers say the study, published in the journal Science, is proof that one little change to a gene can have a big impact. "There may just be a small number of major genetic changes that create all the different shapes and sizes of dogs," study co-author Heidi Parker said.
The short-legged gene is found in breeds from Shih Tzus and Scottish Terriers to Basset Hounds and Pekingese. For a (short) look at these squat pups, check out our gallery of stubby-legged dogs. Just remember, they're not short -- they're vertically challenged!
thealiens2010, Flickr
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