Environment & Energy

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts) Sat Oct 31, 2015, 05:25 AM Oct 2015

Wolf + coyote + dog = New species

Greater than the sum of its parts

It is rare for a new animal species to emerge in front of scientists’ eyes. But this seems to be happening in eastern North America

LIKE some people who might rather not admit it, wolves faced with a scarcity of potential sexual partners are not beneath lowering their standards. It was desperation of this sort, biologists reckon, that led dwindling wolf populations in southern Ontario to begin, a century or two ago, breeding widely with dogs and coyotes. The clearance of forests for farming, together with the deliberate persecution which wolves often suffer at the hand of man, had made life tough for the species. That same forest clearance, though, both permitted coyotes to spread from their prairie homeland into areas hitherto exclusively lupine, and brought the dogs that accompanied the farmers into the mix.

Interbreeding between animal species usually leads to offspring less vigorous than either parent—if they survive at all. But the combination of wolf, coyote and dog DNA that resulted from this reproductive necessity generated an exception. The consequence has been booming numbers of an extraordinarily fit new animal (see picture) spreading through the eastern part of North America. Some call this creature the eastern coyote. Others, though, have dubbed it the “coywolf”. Whatever name it goes by, Roland Kays of North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, reckons it now numbers in the millions.

The mixing of genes that has created the coywolf has been more rapid, pervasive and transformational than many once thought. Javier Monzón, who worked until recently at Stony Brook University in New York state (he is now at Pepperdine University, in California) studied the genetic make-up of 437 of the animals, in ten north-eastern states plus Ontario. He worked out that, though coyote DNA dominates, a tenth of the average coywolf’s genetic material is dog and a quarter is wolf.

The DNA from both wolves and dogs (the latter mostly large breeds, like Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds), brings big advantages, says Dr Kays. At 25kg or more, many coywolves have twice the heft of purebred coyotes. With larger jaws, more muscle and faster legs, individual coywolves can take down small deer. A pack of them can even kill a moose.

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21677188-it-rare-new-animal-species-emerge-front-scientists-eyes?cid1=cust/ednew/n/bl/n/20151029n/owned/n/n/nwl/n/n/n/n

12 replies

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Highlight:

Wolf + coyote + dog = New species (Original Post) Ichingcarpenter Oct 2015 OP

Can this one catch roadrunners? n/t PoliticAverse Oct 2015 #1

I for one d_r Oct 2015 #2

Coydog is a term that has been used for decades. Usually in a derogatory way though. tecelote Oct 2015 #3

Here in Vermont... gregcrawford Oct 2015 #6

paywall site, but easily gotten around in Firefox. dixiegrrrrl Oct 2015 #4

I live in a wild part of Ohio. I have seen these unusual canines on two occasions. Enthusiast Oct 2015 #5

I live in the Foothills of the Northern Catskills, not far from the Mohawk River. Bohunk68 Oct 2015 #8

Sounds like a coydog to me. Plenty of excellent habitat in the area. Enthusiast Oct 2015 #9

Recently went on Google Image Search to show someone a coyote... Jerry442 Oct 2015 #7

PIC Duppers Oct 2015 #10

I fear for their lives. Duppers Oct 2015 #11

They are absolutely beautiful sue4e3 Oct 2015 #12

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)

1. Can this one catch roadrunners? n/t

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 05:43 AM

Oct 2015

d_r

(6,907 posts)

2. I for one

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 06:17 AM

Oct 2015

welcome are new canine overlords.

tecelote

(5,122 posts)

3. Coydog is a term that has been used for decades. Usually in a derogatory way though.

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 06:52 AM

Oct 2015

Coywolf - that sounds bigger, meaner and stronger.

gregcrawford

(2,382 posts)

6. Here in Vermont...

Reply to tecelote (Reply #3)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 08:48 AM

Oct 2015

... coyotes are common; we hear packs quite often, though sightings are less frequent. They are much larger than their western cousins, and were called "coy-dogs" by many. Those with knowledge of the wild dismissed the concept, however. Coyotes usually mate for life, and the male provides for the litter. A male dog is just out for a hit-and-run good time, so the teamwork that assures the survival of the pups does not exist, and so the offspring of such unions seldom survive predation, or even attacks by other coyotes. Interbreeding between wolves and coyotes is believed to be what made the Eastern Coyote so much larger.

The confirmation of dog DNA in the Eastern Coyote, however small the amount, raises more questions than it answers, and invites further study.

Very interesting OP.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

4. paywall site, but easily gotten around in Firefox.

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 08:14 AM

Oct 2015

For sites that throw up an interfering 'screen" over what you want to read, using
View >Page Style>No style tabs in tool bar allows clean readable print.

Interesting article.
There was a small pack of wolf dogs living behind me on San Bruno Mountain in So. San Francisco and they would walk right past my deck
in early am. I could sit there and watch them from 10 feet away.
Sadly, they were eventually killed by Park Rangers because people were 'afraid" of them.
That still pisses me off.

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

5. I live in a wild part of Ohio. I have seen these unusual canines on two occasions.

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 08:16 AM

Oct 2015

One was a highway casualty and the other ran across the road in front of me. I was shocked by the size. It is common to see purebred coyotes killed by hunters where I live. The purebreds are much smaller.

Bohunk68

(1,364 posts)

8. I live in the Foothills of the Northern Catskills, not far from the Mohawk River.

Reply to Enthusiast (Reply #5)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 09:41 AM

Oct 2015

One day, as I was coming up out of the village, I saw a critter cross the road and go into the fields. At first, I thought someone's German Shepherd was loose, but then I noticed the shaggy splotchy coat and thought, maybe a coyote, but then, thought again, probably a coydog. Called my neighbor, who is a DEC agent, and he said that indeed there were coydogs, they are larger and the coat was just as I had described. So, is it possible that what I saw was one of the critters in the OP? I wouldn't be surprised at all. DNA studies can be fascinating.

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

9. Sounds like a coydog to me. Plenty of excellent habitat in the area.

Reply to Bohunk68 (Reply #8)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 09:46 AM

Oct 2015

Jerry442

(1,265 posts)

7. Recently went on Google Image Search to show someone a coyote...

Reply to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)

Sat Oct 31, 2015, 08:49 AM

Oct 2015

... Expecting to see something like an anorectic German Shepard with a bushy tail. Instead, got a lot of pix of big, broad-chested animals that looked more like wolves. Looks like this has been going on for a long time.