The DNA of the famous sled dog, Balto, has been compared to that of modern dogs. The results show that Balto had fewer potentially dangerous mutations than other dogs.
Balto died in 1933, and his remains are now on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York. The study was carried out as part of the Zoonomia Project, which aims to improve the understanding of the history of the dog breed and its evolution. It is the first time the scientists have been able to compare the DNA of dogs from different generations.