Genomic Variation and Population Structure of Portuguese Native Dog Breeds

ABSTRACT

The presence of dogs in Portugal is confirmed by zooarchaeological evidence dating to at least 7600 years ago. The 11 native dog breeds that exist in this territory are therefore the end‐product of a complex evolutionary process. This study characterises the genomic diversity and population structure of 10 native breeds based on whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) data obtained from 46 unrelated dogs (4–6 per breed, 9–16x coverage). These data were merged with public genomes and also downsampled to match the 170 K Illumina Canine HDBeadChip, including an additional 1770 dogs from 211 dog breeds for a worldwide comprehensive population genomics analysis. The results revealed multiple maternal haplotypes distributed across haplogroups A‐D, high autosomal diversity, low to moderate inbreeding, breed‐specific genomic signatures of evolutionary events, and shallow genetic differentiation ranging from greater homogeneity to intra‐breed sub‐structure. These results reflect the diverse history of Portuguese dog breeds, such as geographical isolation in the Castro Laboreiro Watchdog, recent admixture between the Algarve Barrocal and Portuguese Warren Hound, shared ancestry in the Alentejo Mastiff, Transmontano Mastiff and Estrela Mountain Dog breeds, and a severe demographic bottleneck in the Portuguese Water Dog. This research emphasises the importance of preserving these breeds for their contribution to the overall genomic diversity of dogs, functional utility and cultural relevance, providing the basis for outlining strategies for the conservation and genetic management of locally well‐adapted dog breeds.