On Apr. 27, 2023, On Apr. 27, 2023, researchers at Cornell University announced they had used ancient DNA extraction and analysis to reconstruct the phenotype of Balto, the dashing canine renowned for transporting diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925, and identify genetic connections to Siberian husky and modern sled dog breeds.

The research reveals Baltoﾒs lineage was genetically healthier and less inbred than modern breeds, with characteristics adapted to the extreme environment of 1920s Alaska. The teamﾒs paper, ﾓComparative Genomics of Balto, a Famous Historic Dog, Captures Lost Diversity of 1920s Sled Dogs,ﾔ was published in Science.