Wolf DNA
How many times we find statements about the percentage of blood or DNA of wolf that is in the Czechoslovakian wolfdog?
Let’s have a little light …..
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the molecule that carries all the genetic information in all living organisms and is found in every cell. It consists of nucleotides, which in turn are composed of a
nitrogenous base, a monosaccharide (pentosa) and a phosphate group. We can imagine as a spiral staircase, where the uprights are constituted by sugar molecules and phosphates, while the
pegs are constituted by nitrogenous bases that can be of four types: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine ( G), cytosine (C).
DNA is made up of approximately 3.2 billion nucleotide bases (A, T, G, C) in sequence, and in fact would reach the length of two meters. This sequence is organized into chromosomes,
portions of 2-4 cm genomic material. Without much in the description of DNA, it is important to know that some portions of DNA, the base sequences (GTTACTAAATGCC), encode for the
synthesis of proteins necessary for specific functions. The different gene expressions encoded in these different cells in the first place, individuals, species. Large portions of non-coding DNA
are defined, which have no phenotypic expression. The genes themselves, the coding parts, according to some studies appear to be about 30,000, according to others much less.
The dog and the wolf share practically all of this great sequence. The difference expressed in percentage terms is, according to the accredited studies (Wayne and Vilà 2001, Ostander and Vilà
2005) by 2%, but these same studies point out the interesting fact that 2% is also the difference that is Can be found between two different subspecies of wolf. It follows that in that 2% and
other added factors originate the expression of the gene that causes the difference between wolf and dog, and therefore the difference between all canine breeds.
I do not think we should add that the assessments of the percentage differences between the Czechoslovakian wolfdog’s DNA and the wolf are completely out of place.
Clearly different is the concept of “Blood of the Wolf”. In the context of the genealogical study is called “blood percentage”, the estimate of the contribution of an ancestor in one of their
descendants. This estimate is based on the notion of absolute certainty, which is inherited 50% of the genetic father and 50% of the mother. So in subsequent generations it can be estimated
(and not as much as the average value, of course) that 25% of each grandfather has inherited, 12.5% of each great-grandfather, and 6.25% from each great-great-grandfather. When in a
pedigree, an ancestor appears several times its weight in these terms absolute increases. These percentages can be defined as an estimate of the ancestor’s contribution in genealogical
terms.
These percentages should not be confused with those relative to the calculation of consanguinity, percentages that express the probability that a gene has to be homozygous for a given locus,
and the likely homozygous portion of genes throughout the genome of the subject, due to common ancestors.
In this case the percentage expresses the whole portion with which a given ancestor contributes, by virtue of the genealogical relation.
As in the calculation of inbreeding, in calculating the genealogical contribution or “blood”, the figure increases when the ancestor appears several times in the pedigree.
According to this calculation, the probable contribution of wolf ancestors in any Czechoslovakian wolfdog is determined. This contribution appears, in mathematical terms, very pertinent, with
figures ranging from 18% to 30%.
Let’s look at it with an example.
As we can see, the Brita wolf appears in the family tree 1,991 times between the eleventh and twenty-first generation, for a contribution of 5.8%.