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President's Council
This year's President's Council meeting was on "The Dog and Its Genetics: Breeds, Evolution & Behavior," an unbeatable combination of cutting-edge genetic research and humanity's closest friend. An eminent roster of speakers began with Roger Caras, internationally known for his encyclopedic knowledge of dogs and as Master of Ceremonies at the annual Westminster Club Show. Mr. Caras talked on the special relationship between human beings and animals. Elaine Ostrander (University of Washington) and Greg Acland (Cornell University) then described the dog genome project, and how the dog is afflicted by genetic disorders that may have a genetic basis identical to disorders of human beings. But perhaps the most fascinating feature of dogs is their behavior. Raymond Coppinger (Hampshire College) has specialized in studies of the behavior of working dogs, and he described the differing characteristics of the sheepdogs that guard flocks and those that herd flocks. All-in-all, the speakers introduced us to a wonderful blend of science and our everyday experiences of the animal that has been associated with human beings for at least 14,000 years.
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