As diphtheria spread in an icebound Alaska town, antitoxin had to be delivered overland. Sled dogs were the only option. Balto and about 150 dogs travelled in a relay lasting 127 hours through temperatures of minus 45ºC.
WASHINGTON - In 1925, a handsome male sled dog named Balto led a 13-dog team that braved blizzard conditions during the grueling final 85km leg of a 1,088km dogsled relay, bringing lifesaving medicine to the Alaskan city of Nome during a diphtheria outbreak. Balto was feted as a hero, the subject of books and movies, and the dog's taxidermy mount.
One famous dog and a powerful new approach for understanding biology and evolutionary history sciencedaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sciencedaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In 1925, a handsome male sled dog named Balto led a 13-dog team that braved blizzard conditions during the grueling final 53-mile (85-km) leg of a 674-mile (1,088-km) dogsled relay, bringing
In a collection of 11 newly published research papers, genomics further proves its worth by identifying species at risk for extinction, predicting the appearance and performance of a legendary sled dog, and illuminating once-dark corners of evolution and biology.