OhKpop stars celebrity news and gossip

• Jindo dogs celebrated with special day
• SNU Team Finds Genetic Factors for Height
• Signs of a Field from New Stone Age Discovered
• Uhm Tae Woong Lovingly Walks With Three-Legged Dog
• Bibimbap for Astronauts

This year, scientists at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology have, for the first time, decrypted the complete DNA genome of the Jindo dog.

It’s just the second time in the world that scientists have mapped out the entire genome of a dog breed, after the Boxer.
The Korean Jindo dog is a celebrated symbol of national pride for its renowned loyalty and brave nature.

Named after Jindo Island in South Korea where it originates, the hunting dog received international recognition back in 2005 as a pure breed and now researchers have scientifically proven that claim.

Interview : Park Hong-seok, Director
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology “This study and its research provides proof that our national Jindo dog breed is scientifically different from other unique dog varieties”.

Through mitochondrial DNA and phylogenetic analysis, scientists were able to constuct a family tree of 80 different dog breeds, including the Jindo dog. Their results found that Jindo dogs were of a distinctly different pedigree compared to other dogs.
Surprisingly, scientists also found two unique olfactory genes in the Jindo that had previously not been discovered.
The Korean researchers have attributed these new genes to the Jindo dog’s legendary sense of smell.

One of the larger implications of the biological study is that it may prove useful in further understanding diseases in humans.

Interview : Park Hong-seok, Director
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology “More than 360 diseases found in humans are also known to be in dogs. The findings in this study can be utilized in future models of treatment for human diseases”.

The Jindo dog is considered to be part of a highly preserved lineage, as they’ve been exclusively bred on the Korean peninsula for hundreds of years.
The study was funded by the Korean Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, and has since been published in the April edition of the prestigious scientific journal “DNA Research”.

Paul Yi, Arirang News

APR 23, 2012
Reporter :

Jindo dogs celebrated with special day
Jindo County in South Jeolla Province has dedicated May 3 as Jindo Dog Day and a festival will be held in honor of the bright and loyal canines. The celebration of the breed of dogs is the first of its kind. It is also designed to mark the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Jindo dog as Korea's natural treasure No. 53. Falling on the fifth month and third day, it matches the treasure number. The four-day festival will take place until May 6 at a Jindo dog themed park and aims to promote tourism in the region...