Their analysis found that the dogs' skulls grew steadily broader, their foreheads steeper and their eye ridges more pronounced. These are the features prized by breeders, making the dog – named, somewhat ironically, for 11th century priest Bernard of Menthon – the latest animal in which the principles of natural selection have been chronicled.
Having never met a St. Bernard I didn't like, I must say that, in this particular instance of mankind playing God, we did a pretty nice job.
St. Bernard study casts doubt on creationism [Press Release]
The pace of morphological change: historical transformation of skull shape in St Bernard dogs [Proceedings of the Royal Society B]
Image: Michael Stahl