Here's how I thought genetic testing for breed worked. For any given breed, there might be several unique genes on just as many chromosomes – say, 8 – and if the test found, say, 5 of those genes, you knew that 5 of your pet's great-grandparents were that breed. Well...according to Wisdom Panel, my Beatrice is 100% Good Cat, ha! Thanks! I certainly had been wondering! But at the same time she is also 64% American Domestic, which is completely believable. She is also 10% Maine Coon (I had guessed one-quarter) and 11% Norwegian Forest Cat, both of which are also believable.

Or maybe it's 32 loci on 32 chromosomes (of the latter, cats have a total of 38). I suggest this because the same test says my cat is 3% Munchkin, which might be rounded up to 1/32, i.e., of 32 great-great-great-grandparents, one was that breed. I had never heard of it, and learned the breed has been known only since 1983 in the U.S. Could there have been that many generations, to achieve that much dilution, in 4 decades? Oh, I think so!

It is almost certainly the case that genetic testing for breed does not work this way. Applying a computer technique called "scrolling," I saw that underneath the percentages was a hypothetical family tree, and it shows little like the above. Back at the great-grandparent level, there are 6 American Domestic Cats, 1 La Perm mix, and 1 Norwegian Forest Cat mix. The last two apparently mated to give a mix all their own, and the other 3 grandparents were American Domestic. Norwegian Forest Cats look very much like Maine Coons, but they aren't closely related. I am sure these breeds share more than just the I'm-a-big-cat gene. Exactly how close or far they are, this sort of testing should sort out. But I remain mystified.

DNA stuff made my grad-school eyes glaze over but I cannot deny that it needs learning. At least I have begun to research genetic testing in general. Until I did, I'd had little or no concept of microsatellite DNA, although I had heard of short tandem repeats. But I'm still at the point where I regard a chromosome with functional genes intromitted by junk DNA like a phone book that is itself a kind of Old Farmer's Almanac, full of pertinent information in linear, searchable form, but also full of much else. What else? Again, I remain mystified.

All I know is, I'd probably miss it if it were gone! Be that as it ever may, I would like now to shift my theme slightly.

I am categorizing this post as Politics because I suspect that DNA sequencing could offend leftists. It definitely does that if it impinges in any way on perceptions of race. As far as I can tell, most people find such delving into their (or their pets') ancestry either kind of fun and nothing to take very seriously, or something that might be of immediate and urgent medical note. Either way, such importance as there is is purely personal. But political opinionation, a restless thing nowadays, may object to that. Politics, which I define as civic anger, and which expects the civic part to excuse the anger part, goes less like Our country is adrift or Our government is misguided and more like You're doing it all wrong.

(1/16/25)