WEBVTT - How Did the Shar-Pei Get Its Wrinkles? 0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:06.560 Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:10.119 brain Stuff. Lauren Bogo Bam here looking for a dog 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:12.799 that will turn heads or stop passers by in their tracks. 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:16.720 Check out the sharp Pai with their unique loosened, wrinkled 0:00:16.800 --> 0:00:20.360 or folded skin and hippopotamus shaped muzzle. Sharpai are a 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:24.720 unique member of the canine family, the stocky breed originated 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:28.240 in China. The name Sharpei literally translates to sand skin. 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.320 A full grown sharpay stands at about two feet that's 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:34.159 point six meters high and weighs between forty five and 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:38.479 sixty pounds or about seven kilo's and it lives up 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:41.920 to that sand skin name. The sharp pay coat is 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:45.520 short and coarse, falling in heavy folds around the dog's head, neck, 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:49.879 and shoulders. They're typically solidly fawn colored, but could come 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:52.240 in anything from white to red to brown to black, 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:56.000 with lighter or darker spots or points. In addition to 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:59.360 their prominent muzzle, Sharpei have small, deep set eyes and 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:02.080 tiny ears. Their tongues are blue black, which is a 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:04.679 rare trait in dogs. The only other breed that shows 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:07.520 it is the chow Chow, which is also originally from China. 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:11.039 This characteristic would seem to indicate a shared ancestor somewhere 0:01:11.040 --> 0:01:13.440 in the canine family tree, but there's no evidence of 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:18.160 that ancestor to date. However, it is the wrinkles that 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.839 make the sharp pai so memorable. We spoke via email 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:25.560 Dr Kirsten Lynn blood Tow of Upsala University in Sweden. 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.640 They write that a sharp PA's wrinkles are caused by 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:33.080 a particular gene called hyaluronic acid synthase two or h 0:01:33.160 --> 0:01:38.120 A S two quote HS two encodes an enzyme synthesizing 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:42.000 hylurinin a major component of the skin. The high larnin 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.800 is up regulated and accumulates in the thickened skin of 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:49.120 shar pei. In hyper Layman's terms, the high learning is 0:01:49.160 --> 0:01:51.720 a sort of gel around the cells in the skin. 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:55.200 Among other things, it aids in hydration and elasticity in 0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:58.559 the skin. In a sharp pai, the HS two gene 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:02.280 goes into overdrive, eating way too much high learning, and 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.520 that causes the trademark wrinkles, which are specially visible in 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.560 Sharpay puppies. By the time of Sharpay is fully grown, 0:02:08.760 --> 0:02:11.320 its wrinkles have settled down and are typically just in 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:14.600 the face, head, and neck. The genetics of the Sharpe's 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:18.000 wrinkles helped Line blood Toe and other researchers uncover a 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.040 mystery when they used the breed is subjects in study 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:25.600 connecting Sharpai to a fairly common canine illness. To study 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.079 linked the h a S two gene with a tendency 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:31.640 of Sharpay to fall ill with periodic fever disease, sometimes 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:36.280 referred to as familial Sharpay. Fever. Symptoms include episodes of 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:39.600 fever that appear to rise out of nowhere and overall listlessness. 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:42.960 Linn blood Toe says that high learning is to blame 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:46.560 for periodic fever disease in Sharpei, and the team's research 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.040 bears it out. First, they compared the sharp paid genome 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:52.560 with other dog breeds and then compared the genome of 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.679 healthy and six Sharpai, searching for the mutation that was 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.440 causing the fever, and each time they came to the 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:02.240 same conclusion. And blood Toe said in the study, a 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:04.960 mutation in a strand of DNA affecting both the fever 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.679 syndrome and the wrinkled skin was found. There are other 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:11.720 health issues that can be challenging to Sharpei because of 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:14.200 the folds and sharp pay skin. They're susceptible to certain 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:18.000 skin problems and a serious eye disorder called entropion, when 0:03:18.040 --> 0:03:21.600 the eyelid, usually the lower lid folds inwards, causing irritation 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:26.240 to the cornea. Centuries of breeding and inbreeding for specific 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:30.400 physical traits leaves many pure bred dogs susceptible to particular problems. 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:32.680 If you have a Sharpay in your life, talk to 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:36.760 your veterinarian about what sort of screenings they recommend. But 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.520 are Sharpay good family dogs. That depends on what you're 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:43.920 looking for. The American Kennel Club suggests that Sharpay puppies 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:46.560 are better with older children, but older dogs may be 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.720 okay with younger kids. They were initially bred as guard 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:52.600 dogs and hunters, and the breed tends to be intelligent 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.720 and independent, but with a fierce loyalty to their owners. 0:03:56.560 --> 0:03:59.240 Your Sharpai will need a firm hand plan to invest 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.320 in obedience, ing in socialization, because as much as your 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.000 sharp Pai loves you, they're not great with strangers or 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:09.000 other dogs, and don't mistake their natural calm for not caring. 0:04:09.440 --> 0:04:12.120 If they believe their territory is under threat, they'll protect 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:16.320 it with determination. Sharpai enjoy a leisurely walk, just not 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:18.520 too often, usually once or twice a day will do 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:21.919 and watch out during the summer months. Sharpai don't tolerate 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:24.159 the heat well. Owners would do well to take a 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:27.160 look at the Chinese Sharpay Club of America website. It's 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.760 chock full of information about the breed, everything from those 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:38.400 health issues to training to showing standards. Today's episode was 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.520 written by Patty Resumusin and produced by Tyler Clang. Brain 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:43.719 Stuff is a production of iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works. 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:45.599 For more in this and lots of other topics with 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.080 lots of wrinkles, visit our home Planet has to Works 0:04:48.080 --> 0:04:50.599 dot com and for more podcast from my heart Radio, 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:53.479 visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:54.680 listen to your favorite shows.