Researchers find sled dogs evolved shorter legs for pulling efficiency

An international team of researchers, led by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, has discovered that sled dogs may have evolved shorter limbs to improve their ability to pull heavy loads. By developing a biomechanical model, the study demonstrated that shorter legs lower a dog's center of gravity, allowing for more efficient forward force transfer when pulling a sled.

The research, published in the journal iScience, compared modern canine bones with archaeological remains. The team found that both contemporary sled dogs and specimens from 2,000 years ago possessed legs approximately 6% shorter than similar species. This suggests a long-standing evolutionary adaptation linked to the symbiotic relationship between humans and dogs in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, such as Siberia and North America.

This evolutionary process highlights how the physical requirements of a specific task can shape a species over millennia. The findings provide insight into how canine-assisted transport has facilitated human survival, hunting, and migration in extreme environments for at least 9,000 years.