Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Physiology studied the origin of Kazakh Tobet breed dogs
On October 4, 2024, an article by Kazakh scientists entitled “Genetic diversity and origin of the Kazakh Tobet breed” was published in the journal “SCIENTIFIC REPORTS”, which is among the five most cited scientific journals in the world.
The research was conducted at the Institute of Genetics and Physiology under the Science Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Scientists identified three main areas for themselves: diversity, origin and antiquity of the breed.
The Kazakh Tobet is a national breed of Kazakh dogs, which have been used to protect domestic animals since ancient times. On January 20, 2023, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law “On Amendments and Additions to the Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Preservation and Reproduction of Kazakh Dog Breeds”. In this regard, the President noted: "We must promote the gazy and tobet breeds in the international arena."
Genetic research has revealed amazing facts about this breed. Scientists studied 107 dogs from different regions of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, working on the analysis of short tandem repeats (STR) in the DNA sequence. They also used whole-genome sequencing data from two Tobet dogs and compared them with the genomes of 24 other working dog breeds.
Research team: Anastasia Perfilyeva, Kira Bespalova, Elena Kuzovleva, Rustam Musabayev, Mamura Begmanova, Almira Amirgalieva, Olga Vishnyakova, Inna Nazarenko, Asel Zhaksylykova, Arailym Yerzhan, Yulia Perfilyeva, Tatyana Dzhembayeva, Anna Khamchukova, Konstantin Plakhov, Aibyn Torekhanov, Leyla Zhansugirova, Gulnur Zhunusova, Bakhytzhan Bekmanov.
The results of the study showed that the Tobet consists of seven different genetic clusters, which indicates the rich and complex heritage of the breed. Since the breed has been migrating with small livestock for a long time, it has been difficult to be homogeneous and not limited. In addition, such genetic diversity indicates that the breed is constantly infused with blood from other breeds.
It is particularly interesting that scientists have refuted the still widespread hypothesis about the kinship of the Tobet breed with Tibetan mastiffs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this breed is close to the Turkish Akbash, is related to the Central Asian Tobet, and is no less ancient than the Tibetan mastiff. This was also confirmed by the analysis of the mitochondrial DNA sequence. In two Tobet dogs, the A18 haplotype was identified, which is among the seven oldest haplotypes.
The results of the study will not only reveal the secrets of the ancient breed, but also play an important role in forming the first scientific basis for its preservation and improvement.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/sci/press/news/details/930122