Pies: The Basenji is the world’s only barkless dog

Evidence: 85 • authority: 72

The Basenji () is a breed of hunting dog created from stock that originated in Central Africa, including in the Republic of the Congo and other adjacent tropical African countries. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale places it in the Spitz and "primitive types" categories, while the American Kennel Club classifies it as a hound. The breed does not bark in the traditional manner of most dogs, rather vocalising in an unusual, yodel-like "talking" sound, due to its unusually-shaped larynx. This trait earns the Basenji its nickname of "barkless" dog, a similar feature seen and heard in the New Guinea singing dog.

Evidence: 67 • authority: 92

Chromosome-length genome assembly and structural variations of the primal Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome.. Background Basenjis are considered an ancient dog breed of central African origins that still live and hunt with tribesmen in the African Congo. Nicknamed the barkless dog, Basenjis possess unique phylogeny, geographical origins and traits, making their genome structure of great interest. The increasing number of available canid reference genomes allows us to examine the impact the choice of reference genome makes with regard to reference genome quality and breed relatedness. Results Here, we report two high quality de novo Basenji genome assemblies: a female, China (CanFa…

Evidence: 51 • authority: 90

What the dingo says about dog domestication. Worldwide, dogs (Canis familiaris) are certainly the most common domesticate (900 million according to the World Atlas) and are sometimes used as a proxy for human presence. Dogs were the first and therefore arguably most important species ever to be domesticated. It is widely accepted that the domestic dog is a descendent of Pleistocene gray wolves (Canis lupus), possibly of a population now extinct. How can an extant canid, the dingo (Canis dingo or Canis familiaris), whose status as a species and as a domesticate is controversial, improve our understanding of the ancient process of domesticating the dog? Here I review anatomical, behavioral, b…

Evidence: 35 • authority: 90

Potential Sources of High Frequency and Biphonic Vocalization in the Dhole (Cuon alpinus). Biphonation, i.e. two independent fundamental frequencies in a call spectrum, is a prominent feature of vocal activity in dog-like canids. Dog-like canids can produce a low (f0) and a high (g0) fundamental frequency simultaneously. In contrast, fox-like canids are only capable of producing the low fundamental frequency (f0). Using a comparative anatomical approach for revealing macroscopic structures potentially responsible for canid biphonation, we investigated the vocal anatomy for 4 (1 male, 3 female) captive dholes (Cuon alpinus) and for 2 (1 male, 1 female) wild red fox (Vulpes vulpes). In additi…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The dingo is a lineage of dog found in Australia. It is a medium-sized canine that possesses a lean, hardy body adapted for speed, agility, and stamina. Its three main coat colourations are light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white. The skull is wedge-shaped and appears large in proportion to the body. Its taxonomic classification is debated: it is variously considered a form of domestic dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus familiaris) not warranting recognition as a subspecies, or a subspecies of dog (Canis familiaris dingo) or wolf (Canis lupus dingo), or a full species in its own right (Canis dingo). The dingo is closely related to the New Guinea singing dog: their lineage spli…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

SS West Lashaway was a steel–hulled cargo ship that saw service with the U.S. Navy during World War I as the auxiliary ship USS West Lashaway (ID-3700). She was later engaged in mercantile service, until being sunk by a U-boat in 1942. West Lashaway was commissioned into the Navy immediately upon completion in September 1918, but only had time to complete one voyage before the end of the war. In the months that followed, the ship made several more voyages with the Navy, including a children's relief mission to Eastern Europe, before decommissioning in 1919. West Lashaway was subsequently placed in commercial service, operating between the United States and various ports in Europe. Later, th…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The New Guinea singing dog or New Guinea Highland dog (Canis familiaris or Canis lupus dingo) is an ancient (basal) lineage of dog native to the New Guinea Highlands, on the island of New Guinea. Once considered to be a separate species in its own right, under the name Canis hallstromi, it is closely related to the Australian dingo. The dog is relatively unusual among canines; it is one of the few to be considered "barkless", and is known for the unusual "yodel" style of vocalizing that gives it its name. In 1989, the Australian mammalogist Tim Flannery took a photo of a black-and-tan dog in Telefomin District. He noted that these dogs lived with local tribal peoples in the mountains, and t…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

larynx. This trait earns the Basenji its nickname of " barkless " dog , a similar feature seen and heard in the New Guinea singing dog . In Swahili, mbwa shenzi

Evidence: — • authority: 38