In the harsh Arctic climate, sled dogs are invaluable for transportation across the snow- and ice-bound landscape. Descended from a common ancestor, sled breeds include the Alaskan malamute, Siberian husky, and Samoyed. Unlike these breeds, Qimmit (the plural of Qimmeq) have pulled sleds in the same location for the same people for nearly 1,000 years. While other breeds have shifted to more domestic roles or interbred with other dogs, Qimmit have remained isolated.
Greenland is changing. Climate change and urbanization have impacted Qimmit numbers, which have halved to an estimated 13,000 dogs between 2002 and 2020. In the face of these pressures, researchers launched the QIMMEQ project — a collaboration between the University of Copenhagen and Ilisimatusarfik University in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
In their latest study, QIMMEQ researchers analyzed the genomes of 92 modern and ancient Qimmit across 800 years. These were then compared to 1,900 dog genomes. The results tell the genetic story of these dogs’ time in Greenland.
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Dog Migration Patterns Across the Arctic
The analysis showed that the dogs split into three populations, each separated by geography. Greenlandic Inuit live in the North, East, and Western regions of the island, and researchers could clearly separate the dogs from each area in the analysis.
The analysis also showed the effect of European colonization. The genomes of dogs analyzed before the formation of the Danish and Norwegian colonies in 1721 were genetically distinct from those of European dogs. Early 20th-century dog genomes, by contrast, were more mixed.
Today, the movement of foreign dogs into the sledding district is strictly controlled. The Qimmit genomes also implied that theories of migration to Greenland may be incorrect. Divergence between Qimmit and other dog breeds suggests that “either the divergence of Qimmit populations predated the arrival of the Inuit or their arrival occurred more than a century earlier than was previously thought,” the study authors wrote.
Beyond Greenland, the analysis showed a close link between the Qimmeq genome and those of other arctic dogs. Qimmit were even genetically linked to a dog from Alaska that lived 3,700 years ago. The authors wrote that this close relationship, despite the distance of thousands of years and miles, “lends support to the hypothesis that the Inuit settled the North American Arctic rapidly.”
Genetic Links Between Dogs and Wolves
The study also examines the connections between Qimmit and wolves. According to the Danish Kennel Club, a male Qimmeq will be at least 60 cm in height [about 24 inches], larger than a Siberian husky.
These large frames and thick coats give them a superficial resemblance to wolves. Oral traditions in the area say that Qimmit-wolf hybridization was encouraged to “strengthen and reinvigorate the dog populations,” the study authors wrote. The genomic analysis revealed that the Qimmit shared genes with wolf populations, but this link was no stronger than that observed in more ancient Arctic dog breeds, suggesting that interbreeding was limited.
Reports suggest that hybrid dogs are fiercely territorial and aggressive toward unfamiliar humans and dogs. This may have made integrating them into sled culture more challenging and limited their spread, the study authors suggested.
This analysis, arriving at a critical time for the Qimmeq, can hopefully help preserve this ancient and rare breed. This study, the authors wrote, can “serve as a foundation for informed management aimed at the preservation of these remarkable dogs.”
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
Science. Origins and diversity of Greenland’s Qimmit revealed with genomes of ancient and modern sled dogs
Danish Kennel Club. Greenland Dog
RJ Mackenzie is a freelance science reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. He covers biological and biomedical science, with a focus on the complexities and curiosities of the brain. He has degrees in neuroscience from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge. He has written for National Geographic, Nature, and The Scientist, among other publications.
