IE and their dogs : long-haired sheepdogs

From: João Simões Lopes Filho
Message: 16830
Date: 2002-11-22

What is the origin of the European long-haired sheepdogs? They are monophyletic? Kennel Club books usually consider their as brought by Phoenician traders.
 
Pyrenean Sheepdog, French Briard, Spanish Gos d'Atura, Portuguese Cao da Serra d'Aires, English Sheepdog (Bobtail), Bearded Collie, Polish Owczarek, Russian Ovtcharka, Italian Bergamasco, Hungarian Komondor, Pumi and Puli.
 
I've read in books about them being descendants of a kind of long-haired Persian Sheepdog, who influenced also Afghanhound and Russian Borzoi.
 
 
Joao SL