Animal Molecular Breeding, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 39-48 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/amb 45 Figure 3 Distribution of wolf ancestry in admixed Eurasian free-ranging dogs (FRDs) (Adopted from Pilot et al., 2021) Image caption: x-axis shows SNP order along each autosomal chromosomes (without reflecting physical distances between SNP loci), and y-axis shows the proportion of wolf admixture in FRDs (with only admixed individuals considered). The solid horizontal line represents the mean wolf admixture across autosomal chromosomes, and the dotted horizontal line represents the mean wolf admixture within each chromosome. Chromosomal blocks with overrepresented wolf ancestry are marked in red and are defined as having at least 10 sequential SNPs with the proportion of wolf ancestry >3 SD above the mean, which was assessed at the level of individual chromosomes. Ancestry deserts are marked in orange (Adopted from Pilot et al., 2021) 8.3 Relevance to understanding human-animal interactions and coevolution The study of canid behavioral genetics also describes the complex coevolutionary patterns and human-animal relationships. Canid domestication and their assignment to different tasks in human society, such as hunting, companionship, and wool gathering, demonstrate the extensive human-canid history (McKechnie et al., 2020). An Atlanta, Georgia, sighting of an unusually bold coyote with a domestic dog lineage exemplifies the impact of anthropogenic habitats on canid genetics and behavior (Mowry et al., 2021). Such sightings may potentially facilitate new behavioral traits and adaptations that can be utilized in human-canid coevolution. An understanding of these dynamics can inform efforts at establishing coexistence and reducing tensions between human and wildlife in increasingly urban environments. 9 Future Directions 9.1 Emerging technologies in behavioral genetics The field of canid behavioral genetics stands to benefit enormously from emergent technologies such as CRISPR and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The CRISPR system offers the machinery for editing genes with precision, something that potentially could be used in investigating the functional effect of discrete genes on canid behavior. For instance, CRISPR is applied to edit genes involving social behavior in dogs and then observe the resulting changes and directly ascertain gene-behavior correlations (Plassais et al., 2019; Caragiulo et al., 2022). GWAS, on the other hand, allows one to ascertain gene variants associated with specific traits of behavior by screening the complete genomes of large populations. This method has been applied previously in the
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