Researchers have published the full genetic code of a dog. It should make it easier to find the causes of genetic diseases, such as cancer, that affect both dogs and people.

The scientists involved in the effort, whose research appears in Nature on December 8, say the genome has already helped them to pinpoint a group of DNA sequences that do not code for specific genes, but are extremely similar among mice, humans and dogs.

The fact that these sequences are the same in all three animals indicates they could be crucial switches that control the activity of genes, the authors say.

The research also gives researchers insight into the evolutionary history of humans.