Ancient Inuit dogs conform to a short-legged phenotype biomechanically advantageous for sledding
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Dog-powered transport is considered a key adaptation of Indigenous populations to Arctic life, but scarce bioarchaeological evidence makes it difficult to trace the origins and early spread of this practice. We hypothesized that selection for sledding might have favored certain skeletal traits over others and approached the question from a biomechanical perspective. We constructed a biomechanical model of forces acting on the dog skeleton during traction, showing that lowering the center of mass or shifting it forward is advantageous for traction. We therefore tested whether limb bones in modern and ancient sled dogs show relative shortening consistent with biomechanical expectation. Modern sled-dog groups, including Chukotka and Greenland dogs, differed from non-sled dogs and wolves by exhibiting a short-legged phenotype consistent with the biomechanical prediction. Archaeological samples of ancient Inuit dogs from Chukotka showed that most, including three ritually buried dogs, possessed the same phenotype as modern sled dogs.
Source: iScience
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
OpenAlex ID: W7221816070