In short, no.
Both types of dog breeds have contributed to the gene pool from which all breeds have emerged, so it would seem logical that the two terms mean basically the same thing, right?
Alas, that’s not the case.
The simplest way to put it is that the ancient dog breeds are literally the oldest known breeds, while the basal breeds are those that helped create our modern collection of breeds. While there are certainly similarities, not to mention some overlaps, there are also some fundamental differences.
Basal vs Ancient
Before we take a quick look at the similarities and distinguishing traits of both basal and ancient breeds, it’s important to acknowledge one thing: there is no one set of characteristics that can be applied equally to all the breeds that fall under the headings of basal and ancient. That is, the two are more like umbrella terms (such as “sporting”) rather than type indicators (such as “spitz”).
What is also important to acknowledge is that some of the basal breeds are also considered to be ancient breeds.
Basal:
- May be considered to be crossbreeds
- Can be ancient or modern
- Has the greatest influence on modern breed genetics
Here’s a quick list of the 16 Basal Breeds: