Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), together with a dense map of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across breeds. The dog is of particular interest because it provides important evolutionary information and because existing breeds show great phenotypic diversity for morphological, physiological and behavioural traits. We use sequence comparison with the primate and rodent lineages to shed light on the structure and evolution of genomes and genes. Notably, the majority of the most highly conserved non-coding sequences in mammalian genomes are clustered near a small subset of genes with important roles in development. Analysis of SNPs reveals long-range haplotypes across the entire dog genome, and defines the nature of genetic diversity within and across breeds. The current SNP map now makes it possible for genome-wide association studies to identify genes responsible for diseases and traits, with important consequences for human and companion animal health.

The overall problem of reducing photoelectric photometry data is reviewed, and a general reduction method that differs significantly from the traditional approach of Hardie and others is summarized and analyzed. The technique, essentially a multilinear solution for all the transformation model parameters simultaneously, is especially suitable for modern computing facilities, and is both faster and more reliable than older approaches. This particular technique is also shown to be sufficiently powerful and versatile that it gives the observer several important advantages and flexibilities at the telescope, and can be set up to apply to many general situations. Examples and comparisons of its use for single-and multiple-night reductions are presented, and the role of the reduction problem in the whole area of photoelectric photometry is discussed.

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