News Animals

Greenland sled dog DNA is a window into the Arctic’s archaeological past

The ancient breed — and its human partners — may have arrived in Greenland earlier than thought

Image of Qimmit sled dogs. The genes of this canine suggest early humans may have come to Greenland earlier than previously thought.

The Qimmit have been bred as hardy draught animals, pulling sleds across the frozen Greenlandic landscape. The dogs’ genes provide a window into the Arctic’s archaeological past.

Carsten Egevang

By Jake Buehler

A millennium-long story about Greenland is written in the genes of the island’s sled dogs. A