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Wilson PJ, Rutledge LY. Considering Pleistocene North American wolves and coyotes in the eastern Canis origin story. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9137-9147. [PMID: 34257949 PMCID: PMC8258226 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary origins and hybridization patterns of Canis species in North America have been hotly debated for the past 30 years. Disentangling ancestry and timing of hybridization in Great Lakes wolves, eastern Canadian wolves, red wolves, and eastern coyotes are most often partitioned into a 2-species model that assigns all ancestry to gray wolves and/or coyotes, and a 3-species model that includes a third, North American evolved eastern wolf genome. The proposed models address recent or sometimes late Holocene hybridization events but have largely ignored potential Pleistocene era progenitors and opportunities for hybridization that may have impacted the current mixed genomes in eastern Canada and the United States. Here, we re-analyze contemporary and ancient mitochondrial DNA genomes with Bayesian phylogenetic analyses to more accurately estimate divergence dates among lineages. We combine that with a review of the literature on Late Pleistocene Canis distributions to: (a) identify potential Pleistocene progenitors to southern North American gray wolves and eastern wolves; and (b) illuminate opportunities for ancient hybridization events. Specifically, we propose that Beringian gray wolves (C. lupus) and extinct large wolf-like coyotes (C. latrans orcutti) are likely progenitors to Mexican and Plains gray wolves and eastern wolves, respectively, and may represent a potentially unrecognized source of introgressed genomic variation within contemporary Canis genomes. These events speak to the potential origins of contemporary genomes and provide a new perspective on Canis ancestry, but do not negate current conservation priorities of dwindling wolf populations with unique genomic signatures and key ecologically critical roles.
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vonHoldt BM, Aardema ML. Updating the Bibliography of Interbreeding among Canis in North America. J Hered 2021; 111:249-262. [PMID: 32034410 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This bibliography provides a collection of references that documents the evolution of studies evidencing interbreeding among Canis species in North America. Over the past several decades, advances in biology and genomic technology greatly improved our ability to detect and characterize species interbreeding, which has significance for understanding species in a changing landscape as well as for endangered species management. This bibliography includes a discussion within each category of interbreeding, the timeline of developing evidence, and includes a review of past research conducted on experimental crosses. Research conducted in the early 20th century is rich with detailed records and photographs of hybrid offspring development and behavior. With the progression of molecular methods, studies can estimate historical demographic parameters and detect chromosomal patterns of ancestry. As these methods continue to increase in accessibility, the field will gain a deeper and richer understanding of the evolutionary history of North American Canis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
| | - Matthew L Aardema
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY
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Waples RS, Kays R, Fredrickson RJ, Pacifici K, Mills LS. Is the Red Wolf a Listable Unit Under the US Endangered Species Act? J Hered 2018; 109:585-597. [PMID: 29889268 PMCID: PMC6022562 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining units that can be afforded legal protection is a crucial, albeit challenging, step in conservation planning. As we illustrate with a case study of the red wolf (Canis rufus) from the southeastern United States, this step is especially complex when the evolutionary history of the focal taxon is uncertain. The US Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of species, subspecies, or Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of vertebrates. Red wolves were listed as an endangered species in 1973, and their status remains precarious. However, some recent genetic studies suggest that red wolves are part of a small wolf species (C. lycaon) specialized for heavily forested habitats of eastern North America, whereas other authors suggest that red wolves arose, perhaps within the last ~400 years, through hybridization between gray wolves (C. lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans). Using published genetic, morphological, behavioral, and ecological data, we evaluated whether each evolutionary hypothesis would lead to a listable unit for red wolves. Although the potential hybrid origin of red wolves, combined with abundant evidence for recent hybridization with coyotes, raises questions about status as a separate species or subspecies, we conclude that under any proposed evolutionary scenario red wolves meet both criteria to be considered a DPS: they are Discrete compared with other conspecific populations, and they are Significant to the taxon to which they belong. As population-level units can qualify for legal protection under endangered-species legislation in many countries throughout the world, this general approach could potentially be applied more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin S Waples
- NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Roland Kays
- Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC
| | | | - Krishna Pacifici
- Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - L Scott Mills
- Wildlife Biology Program and the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
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Hohenlohe PA, Rutledge LY, Waits LP, Andrews KR, Adams JR, Hinton JW, Nowak RM, Patterson BR, Wydeven AP, Wilson PA, White BN. Comment on "Whole-genome sequence analysis shows two endemic species of North American wolf are admixtures of the coyote and gray wolf". SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1602250. [PMID: 28630899 PMCID: PMC5462499 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Whole-genome data do not support a recent hybrid origin for red and eastern wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Hohenlohe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-3051, USA
| | - Linda Y. Rutledge
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Lisette P. Waits
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA
| | - Kimberly R. Andrews
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Adams
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1136, USA
| | - Joseph W. Hinton
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | | | - Paul A. Wilson
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Brad N. White
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
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5
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Rutledge LY, Desy G, Fryxell JM, Middel K, White BN, Patterson BR. Patchy distribution and low effective population size raise concern for an at-risk top predator. DIVERS DISTRIB 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Y. Rutledge
- Biology Department; Trent University; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Glenn Desy
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Summerlee Science Complex Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Summerlee Science Complex Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Kevin Middel
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry; Trent University; DNA Building 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
| | - Bradley N. White
- Biology Department; Trent University; 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Brent R. Patterson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry; Trent University; DNA Building 2140 East Bank Drive Peterborough ON K9L 0G2 Canada
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6
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Grigg EK, Nibblett BM, Sacks BN, Hack R, Serpell JA, Hart L. Genetic and behavioral characteristics of the St. Kitts ‘island dog’. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Brzeski KE, DeBiasse MB, Rabon DR, Chamberlain MJ, Taylor SS. Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Southeastern Pre-Columbian Canids. J Hered 2016; 107:287-93. [PMID: 26774058 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The taxonomic status of the red wolf (Canis rufus) is heavily debated, but could be clarified by examining historic specimens from the southeastern United States. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 3 ancient (350-1900 year olds) putative wolf samples excavated from middens and sinkholes within the historic red wolf range. We detected 3 unique mtDNA haplotypes, which grouped with the coyote mtDNA clade, suggesting that the canids inhabiting southeastern North America prior to human colonization from Europe were either coyotes, which would vastly expand historic coyote distributions, an ancient coyote-wolf hybrid, or a North American evolved red wolf lineage related to coyotes. Should the red wolf prove to be a distinct species, our results support the idea of either an ancient hybrid origin for red wolves or a shared common ancestor between coyotes and red wolves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin E Brzeski
- From the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Brzeski and Taylor); Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (DeBiasse); Endangered Wolf Center, P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 (Rabon); and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (Chamberlain).
| | - Melissa B DeBiasse
- From the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Brzeski and Taylor); Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (DeBiasse); Endangered Wolf Center, P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 (Rabon); and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (Chamberlain)
| | - David R Rabon
- From the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Brzeski and Taylor); Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (DeBiasse); Endangered Wolf Center, P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 (Rabon); and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (Chamberlain)
| | - Michael J Chamberlain
- From the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Brzeski and Taylor); Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (DeBiasse); Endangered Wolf Center, P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 (Rabon); and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (Chamberlain)
| | - Sabrina S Taylor
- From the School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (Brzeski and Taylor); Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (DeBiasse); Endangered Wolf Center, P.O. Box 760, Eureka, MO 63025 (Rabon); and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 (Chamberlain)
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Stephens D, Wilton AN, Fleming PJS, Berry O. Death by sex in an Australian icon: a continent-wide survey reveals extensive hybridization between dingoes and domestic dogs. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:5643-56. [PMID: 26514639 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hybridization between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts can disrupt adaptive gene combinations, reduce genetic diversity, extinguish wild populations and change ecosystem function. The dingo is a free-ranging dog that is an iconic apex predator and distributed throughout most of mainland Australia. Dingoes readily hybridize with domestic dogs, and in many Australian jurisdictions, distinct management strategies are dictated by hybrid status. Yet, the magnitude and spatial extent of domestic dog-dingo hybridization is poorly characterized. To address this, we performed a continent-wide analysis of hybridization throughout Australia based on 24 locus microsatellite DNA genotypes from 3637 free-ranging dogs. Although 46% of all free-ranging dogs were classified as pure dingoes, all regions exhibited some hybridization, and the magnitude varied substantially. The southeast of Australia was highly admixed, with 99% of animals being hybrids or feral domestic dogs, whereas only 13% of the animals from remote central Australia were hybrids. Almost all free-ranging dogs had some dingo ancestry, indicating that domestic dogs could have poor survivorship in nonurban Australian environments. Overall, wild pure dingoes remain the dominant predator over most of Australia, but the speed and extent to which hybridization has occurred in the approximately 220 years since the first introduction of domestic dogs indicate that the process may soon threaten the persistence of pure dingoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Stephens
- School of Animal Biology and Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, M092, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Alan N Wilton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia
| | - Peter J S Fleming
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, New South Wales, 2800, Australia.,School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
| | - Oliver Berry
- School of Animal Biology and Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, M092, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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Mech LD, Christensen BW, Asa CS, Callahan M, Young JK. Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e88861. [PMID: 24586418 PMCID: PMC3934856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Using artificial insemination we attempted to produce hybrids between captive, male, western, gray wolves (Canis lupus) and female, western coyotes (Canis latrans) to determine whether their gametes would be compatible and the coyotes could produce and nurture offspring. The results contribute new information to an ongoing controversy over whether the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) is a valid unique species that could be subject to the U. S. Endangered Species Act. Attempts with transcervically deposited wolf semen into nine coyotes over two breeding seasons yielded three coyote pregnancies. One coyote ate her pups, another produced a resorbed fetus and a dead fetus by C-section, and the third produced seven hybrids, six of which survived. These results show that, although it might be unlikely for male western wolves to successfully produce offspring with female western coyotes under natural conditions, western-gray-wolf sperm are compatible with western-coyote ova and that at least one coyote could produce and nurture hybrid offspring. This finding in turn demonstrates that gamete incompatibility would not have prevented western, gray wolves from inseminating western coyotes and thus producing hybrids with coyote mtDNA, a claim that counters the view that the eastern wolf is a separate species. However, some of the difficulties experienced by the other inseminated coyotes tend to temper that finding and suggest that more experimentation is needed, including determining the behavioral and physical compatibility of western gray wolves copulating with western coyotes. Thus although our study adds new information to the controversy, it does not settle it. Further study is needed to determine whether the putative Canis lycaon is indeed a unique species.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. David Mech
- U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Bruce W. Christensen
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Cheryl S. Asa
- Research Department, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Margaret Callahan
- Wildlife Science Center, Forest Lake, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Julie K. Young
- U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
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Newsome TM, Stephens D, Ballard GA, Dickman CR, Fleming PJS. Genetic profile of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and free-roaming domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris) in the Tanami Desert, Australia. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/wr12128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context Many rare and endangered species are threatened by the effects of hybridisation with their domesticated and often numerically dominant relatives. However, factors that influence interactions between hybridising species are poorly understood, thus limiting our ability to develop ameliorative strategies. Aims Here, we identify family groups and investigate patterns of gene flow between dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris) in the Tanami Desert of central Australia. We aimed to determine whether human-provided resources facilitate hybridisation or alter typical patterns of dingo breeding and social behaviour. We also ask whether remote townships are arenas for dingo–dog hybridisation. Methods Tissue samples and morphological details were collected from dingo-like animals around two mine sites where humans provide abundant supplementary food and water. Using molecular DNA analyses, we assigned animals to population clusters, determined kinship and the numbers of family groups. Rates of hybridisation were assessed around the mines and in two nearby townships. Key results Of 142 samples from mine sites, ‘pure’ dingoes were identified genetically in 89% of cases. This predominance of dingoes was supported by our observations on coat colour and body morphology. Only 2 of 86 domestic dogs sampled at the two townships showed evidence of dingo ancestry. Around the mine sites, there were two distinct population clusters, including a large family group of 55 individuals around a refuse facility. Conclusions Where superabundant and consistent food, and reliable water, was available, dingo packs were much larger and co-existed with others, contrary to expectations derived from previous research. Dingo sociality and pack structures can therefore be altered where human-provided food and water are constantly available, and this could facilitate accelerated rates of hybridisation. Implications The development of appropriate domestic-waste management strategies should be a high priority in remote areas to ensure only normal rates of population increase by dingoes, and other canids more broadly. It will also potentially impede hybridisation rates if typical canid social and behavioural traits remain intact. Additionally, areas surrounding remote human settlements are likely arenas for accentuated dingo–domestic dog interactions and should be a target for future studies.
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An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.3996/nafa.77.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The available scientific literature was reviewed to assess the taxonomic standing of North American wolves, including subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus. The recent scientific proposal that the eastern wolf, C. l. lycaon, is not a subspecies of gray wolf, but a full species, Canis lycaon, is well-supported by both morphological and genetic data. This species' range extends westward to Minnesota, and it hybridizes with gray wolves where the two species are in contact in eastern Canada and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Genetic data support a close relationship between eastern wolf and red wolf Canis rufus, but do not support the proposal that they are the same species; it is more likely that they evolved independently from different lineages of a common ancestor with coyotes. The genetic distinctiveness of the Mexican wolf Canis lupus baileyi supports its recognition as a subspecies. The available genetic and morphometric data do not provide clear support for the recognition of the Arctic wolf Canis lupus arctos, but the available genetic data are almost entirely limited to one group of genetic markers (microsatellite DNA) and are not definitive on this question. Recognition of the northern timber wolf Canis lupus occidentalis and the plains wolf Canis lupus nubilus as subspecies is supported by morphological data and extensive studies of microsatellite DNA variation where both subspecies are in contact in Canada. The wolves of coastal areas in southeastern Alaska and British Columbia should be assigned to C. lupus nubilus. There is scientific support for the taxa recognized here, but delineation of exact geographic boundaries presents challenges. Rather than sharp boundaries between taxa, boundaries should generally be thought of as intergrade zones of variable width.
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Rutledge LY, White BN, Row JR, Patterson BR. Intense harvesting of eastern wolves facilitated hybridization with coyotes. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:19-33. [PMID: 22408723 PMCID: PMC3297175 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite ethical arguments against lethal control of wildlife populations, culling is routinely used for the management of predators, invasive or pest species, and infectious diseases. Here, we demonstrate that culling of wildlife can have unforeseen impacts that can be detrimental to future conservation efforts. Specifically, we analyzed genetic data from eastern wolves (Canis lycaon) sampled in Algonquin Provincial Park (APP), Ontario, Canada from 1964 to 2007. Research culls in 1964 and 1965 killed the majority of wolves within a study region of APP, accounting for approximately 36% of the park's wolf population at a time when coyotes were colonizing the region. The culls were followed by a significant decrease in an eastern wolf mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype (C1) in the Park's wolf population, as well as an increase in coyote mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The introgression of nuclear DNA from coyotes, however, appears to have been curtailed by legislation that extended wolf protection outside park boundaries in 2001, although eastern wolf mtDNA haplotype C1 continued to decline and is now rare within the park population. We conclude that the wolf culls transformed the genetic composition of this unique eastern wolf population by facilitating coyote introgression. These results demonstrate that intense localized harvest of a seemingly abundant species can lead to unexpected hybridization events that encumber future conservation efforts. Ultimately, researchers need to contemplate not only the ethics of research methods, but also that future implications may be obscured by gaps in our current scientific understanding.
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Wilson PJ, Rutledge LY, Wheeldon TJ, Patterson BR, White BN. Y-chromosome evidence supports widespread signatures of three-species Canis hybridization in eastern North America. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:2325-32. [PMID: 23139890 PMCID: PMC3488682 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been considerable discussion on the origin of the red wolf and eastern wolf and their evolution independent of the gray wolf. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and a Y-chromosome intron sequence in combination with Y-chromosome microsatellites from wolves and coyotes within the range of extensive wolf–coyote hybridization, that is, eastern North America. The detection of divergent Y-chromosome haplotypes in the historic range of the eastern wolf is concordant with earlier mtDNA findings, and the absence of these haplotypes in western coyotes supports the existence of the North American evolved eastern wolf (Canis lycaon). Having haplotypes observed exclusively in eastern North America as a result of insufficient sampling in the historic range of the coyote or that these lineages subsequently went extinct in western geographies is unlikely given that eastern-specific mtDNA and Y-chromosome haplotypes represent lineages divergent from those observed in extant western coyotes. By combining Y-chromosome and mtDNA distributional patterns, we identified hybrid genomes of eastern wolf, coyote, gray wolf, and potentially dog origin in Canis populations of central and eastern North America. The natural contemporary eastern Canis populations represent an important example of widespread introgression resulting in hybrid genomes across the original C. lycaon range that appears to be facilitated by the eastern wolf acting as a conduit for hybridization. Applying conventional taxonomic nomenclature and species-based conservation initiatives, particularly in human-modified landscapes, may be counterproductive to the effective management of these hybrids and fails to consider their evolutionary potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Wilson
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling & Forensic Centre, Trent University DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J 7B8
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14
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Meachen JA, Samuels JX. Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:4191-6. [PMID: 22371581 PMCID: PMC3306717 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1113788109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about the effects of competitor presence or absence on morphological change in coyotes or wolves over long periods of time. We examined the evolution of coyotes and wolves through time from the late Pleistocene, during which many large carnivorous species coexisted as predators and competitors, to the Recent; this allowed us to investigate evolutionary changes in these species in response to climate change and megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. We measured postcranial skeletal morphologies of wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) from Pleistocene-aged tar deposits, as well as early, mid, and recent Holocene populations of both. We found few morphological differences between Pleistocene and Holocene wolf populations. Conversely, we found many differences in coyotes: Pleistocene coyotes were larger and more robust than Holocene populations. However, within 1,000 y of the megafaunal extinctions, coyotes are morphologically indistinguishable from modern populations. We cannot attribute these differences directly to climate change because modern coyotes do not follow Bergmann's rule, which states body size increases with decreasing temperature. Instead, we suggest that Pleistocene coyotes may have been larger and more robust in response to larger competitors and a larger-bodied prey base. Although we cannot separate competition from predator-prey interactions, this study indicates that the effects of biotic interactions can be detected in the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Meachen
- National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
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16
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vonHoldt BM, Pollinger JP, Earl DA, Knowles JC, Boyko AR, Parker H, Geffen E, Pilot M, Jedrzejewski W, Jedrzejewska B, Sidorovich V, Greco C, Randi E, Musiani M, Kays R, Bustamante CD, Ostrander EA, Novembre J, Wayne RK. A genome-wide perspective on the evolutionary history of enigmatic wolf-like canids. Genome Res 2011; 21:1294-305. [PMID: 21566151 DOI: 10.1101/gr.116301.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput genotyping technologies developed for model species can potentially increase the resolution of demographic history and ancestry in wild relatives. We use a SNP genotyping microarray developed for the domestic dog to assay variation in over 48K loci in wolf-like species worldwide. Despite the high mobility of these large carnivores, we find distinct hierarchical population units within gray wolves and coyotes that correspond with geographic and ecologic differences among populations. Further, we test controversial theories about the ancestry of the Great Lakes wolf and red wolf using an analysis of haplotype blocks across all 38 canid autosomes. We find that these enigmatic canids are highly admixed varieties derived from gray wolves and coyotes, respectively. This divergent genomic history suggests that they do not have a shared recent ancestry as proposed by previous researchers. Interspecific hybridization, as well as the process of evolutionary divergence, may be responsible for the observed phenotypic distinction of both forms. Such admixture complicates decisions regarding endangered species restoration and protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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