We report a comparative map of canine chromosome 1 (CFA1) incorporating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphisms, developed by using cross-species primers, radiation hybrid analysis, and pool-and-sequence identification of genetic variations. Fifty-five genes were chosen with relatively even spacing (approximately 3 Mb between the human homologues) and were mapped to CFA1, with 49 of these being new assignments. Evolutionary chromosomal breakpoints between CFA1 and the corresponding human chromosomes (HSA6, HSA9, HSA18, and HSA19) were located within 1 to 5 Mb based upon the human genome sequence. The process of identifying the evolutionary chromosomal breakpoints between CFA1 and the relevant human chromosomes led to an improvement in the comparative maps of CFA7, CFA12, and CFA29 through the mapping of 21 additional genes. A manual pool-and-sequence method was used to identify 79 SNPs, 9 small indels, 7 simple tandem repeats, and 2 polymorphic SINE insertions within the genes mapped. The cross-species primers can also be used in the manner described here to improve the comparative maps for other mammalian species.