An image for the complete genomes of ancient dogs excavated from archaeological sites on the Korean Peninsula / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Service
A joint research team has successfully sequenced the complete genomes of ancient dogs excavated from archaeological sites on the Korean Peninsula, marking the first such analysis of ancient Korean dog DNA, the Korea Heritage Service announced Thursday.
The study, published in the international journal PLOS ONE, was conducted by researchers from the Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, the Conservation Science Division of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), the Seokdang Museum of Dong-A University and Japan’s Graduate University for Advanced Studies.
The team analyzed the remains of four dogs unearthed from the Neukdo site in Sacheon and the Bonghwang-dong site in Gimhae. Using next-generation sequencing technology in a dedicated ancient DNA cleanroom at NRICH’s Conservation Science Division, researchers reconstructed the complete genomes of dogs that lived approximately 2,000 years ago.
The analysis showed that ancient Korean dogs were genetically closest to the Australian dingo and the New Guinea Singing Dog, but formed their own distinct lineage separate from either group — indicating that East Asian dogs, long assumed to constitute a single population, in fact, comprised several distinct lineages.
Researchers also detected Western Eurasian dog genes in the ancient specimens, with the proportion increasing in dogs from later periods, suggesting ongoing genetic exchange between Eastern and Western Eurasian dog populations over thousands of years. Modern native Korean breeds such as the Jindo and Sapsaree carry a higher proportion of Western-lineage genes than their ancient counterparts, reflecting long-term interbreeding across populations.
The study additionally found evidence of gene flow between ancient Korean dogs and wolf populations, with the closest relationship observed with the Japanese wolf — a subspecies considered extinct since 1905.
The Gaya National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said it plans to obtain additional Neolithic dog genome data in an effort to trace the formation of the Korean Peninsula dog lineage to an even earlier period.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
