Unravelling selection signatures in a single dog breed suggests recent selection for morphological and behavioural traits

Strong selection has resulted in substantial morphological and behavioural
diversity across modern dog breeds, which makes dogs interesting model
animals to study the underlying genetic architecture of these traits.
However, results from between-breed analyses may confound selection
signatures for behaviour and morphological features that were co-selected
during breed development. In this study, we assess population genetic
differences in a unique resource of dogs of the same breed but with
systematic behavioural selection in only one population. We exploit these
different breeding backgrounds to identify signatures of recent selection.
Selection signatures within populations were found on chromosomes 4 and
19, with the strongest signals in behaviour-related genes. 
Regions showing strong signals of divergent selection were located on
chromosomes 1, 24 and 32, and include candidate genes for both physical
features and behaviour. Some of the selection signatures appear to be
driven by loci associated with coat colour (Chr 24; ASIP) and length (Chr
32; FGF5), while others showed evidence of association with behaviour. Our
findings suggest that signatures of selection within dog breeds have been
driven by selection for morphology and behaviour. Furthermore, we
demonstrate that combining selection scans with association analyses is
effective for dissecting the traits under selection.