Assessment of minimum sample sizes required to adequately represent diversity reveals inadequacies in datasets of domestic dog mitochondrial DNA.
OBJECTIVE
Evolutionary and forensic studies commonly choose the mitochondrial control region as the locus for which to evaluate the domestic dog. However, the number of dogs that need to be sampled in order to represent the control region variation present in the worldwide population is yet to be determined.


METHODS
Following the methods of Pereira et al. (2004), we have demonstrated the importance of surveying the complete control region rather than only the popular left domain. We have also evaluated sample saturation in terms of the haplotype number and the number of polymorphisms within the control region.


RESULTS
Of the most commonly cited evolutionary research, only a single study has adequately surveyed the domestic dog population, while all forensic studies have failed to meet the minimum values.


CONCLUSIONS
We recommend that future studies consider dataset size when designing experiments and ideally sample both domains of the control region in an appropriate number of domestic dogs.
Webb
Kristen
K
United States Department of Agriculture, ARS-APDL, BARC East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA. kristen.webb@ars.usda.gov
Allard
Marc
M
D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D030541:Databases, Genetic / Q000592:standards*; D004285:Dogs; D014644:Genetic Variation; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D006239:Haplotypes; D019901:Locus Control Region; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012107:Research Design; D018401:Sample Size; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial