THE PACK Message Boards

Looks like the people who said the dog and the wolf were never meant to mate were wrong, since this gene the result of wolf intermating with domestic dogs has produced the wolf's dark coat.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7872826.stm

Never meant to mate? That's odd, since both dogs and wolves descend from a common ancestor, and there are Wolf-Dog hybrids (usually German Shepherds) available in the U.S.

The Husky and Malemute breeds are marked like some wolves, but they are not very closely related (according to some sources).

And there are the Utanongan Wolf-dogs who have wolf coats but are domestic canids of the Canis Lupus line. Trouble is that they aren't stable in breed, and are not considered a Breed of dog; only a Sport.
Pity, since they are beautiful as all get out.

Dogs and wolves are the same species.
Just different sub-species.
Hybrids are very common.

PariahPoet wrote:Dogs and wolves are the same species.
Just different sub-species.
Hybrids are very common.

That's actually an interesting point. The domestic dog was considered an entirely different species of canid and all breeds of dog were categorized under the species Canis Familiaris. At least, that is until 1996, when the canine genome was mapped and it was found just how much genetic material wolves and dogs shared (something above 99%). In actuality, dogs and wolves (who can fully interbreed, which in hindsight perhaps should have been a clue) share more genetic commonality with each other than Gray Wolves do with Red Wolves. Yes. The domesticated dog is closer to the Gray Wolf, in terms of genetics, than the Gray Wolf is to the only other species of wolf, the Red Wolf. As such, in 1996 Canis Familiaris was redesignated Canis Lupus Familiaris, bringing Fluffy, the family Chihuahua fully into the category of Gray Wolf.

Thus, the five species of wolves in North America are:
Canis Rufus -- Red Wolf
Canis Lupus Lycaon -- North American Gray (or Timber) Wolf
Canis Lupus Baileyi -- Mexican Wolf
Canis Lupus Arctos -- Arctic Wolf
Canis Lupus Familiaris -- Domestic Dog

Canis Lupus Baileyi -- Mexican Wolf

Just being picky, but its typically known as the Mexican Lobo. There are a few packs of them south of here. A former co-worker actually had a purebreed of Lobo domesticated and in his backyard for some time. They're pritty big.

Kaebora wrote: Just being picky, but its typically known as the Mexican Lobo. There are a few packs of them south of here. A former co-worker actually had a purebreed of Lobo domesticated and in his backyard for some time. They're pritty big.

I think the "Mexican Lobo" thing might be like calling a North American Gray Wolf a "Timber Wolf". I think it's a regional thing, but the generally used name I've heard wolf experts use is Mexican Wolf. Also supposedly, the ones in the wild (as opposed to ones kept in enclosures for research, breeding programs, etc. or kept as pets for some ungodly reason) are quite small compared to other wolves in North America, and are often mistaken for coyotes by novice observers.

Perhaps one of the reasons for the difference in size between the Mexican Plains Wolf (Lupus Baileyi) and the Gray wolf is the area where they live.
The Bailey's Wolf lives on the Mexican and North American desert plains, where the food sources won't support large animals, while the Lycaon or Timber Wolf lives normally in the forests and tundra of North America, where the food sources are greater in number and mass.

What is interesting is the Domestic dog has a Genome that is easily three times the size of the Human Genome... probably a sign of adaptability. Considering the number of breeds there are, that adaptability is a real life saver. Of course, the number of breeds may be the reason for the huge Genome, too.