Page 54 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 9
P. 54
T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 5 4
The second candidate could be the Azawakh, Let us look into the various genetic
which is phenotypically very similar to the studies that have investigated the
Sloughi and has many parallels in use. question of the origin of the breeds.
Moreover, it too is a sighthound of African
descent. Heidi Parker, Cell Reports 2017, Analyses
of the genome of dogs
This graph (see above) clearly shows that the
Azawakhs (blue) form a closed cluster (a In this extract from the analyses of Heidi
cloud in which the individuals lie). To the Parker and her colleagues, presented in
right of this in green are the Sloughis, which the form of a cladogram, i.e. a list of 161
we picked out according to the same breeds in clades, or groups. For us, only
scheme (different lines and imports). Of the position of the Sloughi is important.
these, one individual lies between the
clusters of Azawakhs and Sloughis. This one In the group marked in brown (see
is apparently a mongrel and was not below), the Mediterranean breeds are at
considered in breed establishment for the the top, i.e. in a higher order of descent,
Sloughis. followed in the middle by the Sloughi and
the Azawakh, and at the end by the
Also of interest are the Salukis. There has Afghan Hound and the Saluki.
been a breed test for the Salukis (yellow) for
years, established by the British breed So we see again that Sloughi and Saluki
population. Saluki new (red) are our DWZRV are to be regarded as separate in the
Salukis, put together according to the same mirror of genetic breed affiliation. Even
criteria as our Azawakhs. Amazing the more: if there is a genetic descent
homogeneity despite the large gene pool between both breeds, the gene flow is
(41). rather from the Sloughi to the Saluki than
the other way round.
.. It was noticeable that there is a greater
relation to the Basenjis. ... According to The Basenji is shown opposite in this
MARS' description, the Azawakh is located study and appears here in the graph at
between the Sloughis and the Basenjis. the black line on the far right. It
represents one of the central common
... But the Sloughi also seems to be a link ancestors of domesticated dogs.
between Africa and the Mediterranean. Its
closeness to the Azawakhs is greater than to
the Salukis (42).
