Balto's genome reveals famed sledge dog was a mutt

An analysis of the genes of renowned sledge dog Balto, long believed to be a Siberian husky, reveals he was a mixture of different Arctic and Asian breeds.

Balto is perhaps the most famous sledge dog of all time, celebrated for leading his musher and team on a harrowing 85-kilometre journey across the Alaskan interior to deliver diphtheria medication to sick children in the town of Nome in 1925.

To understand how Balto’s genes compared to those of modern dogs and contributed …