Genetic nature of eastern wolves: Past, present and future
Genetic nature of eastern wolves: Past, present and future
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DOI：
10.1007/s10592-006-9130-0
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发表时间：
2006-04-01
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
White, B. N.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kyle, C. J.;Johnson, A. R.;White, B. N.
长期以来，人们一直认为北美东部的狼在形态上与土狼和灰狼不同。这导致了关于它们的起源和分类地位的问题。东部狼主要被视为：(1)灰狼（Canis lupus lycaon）的一个较小的亚种，可能是灰狼（C. lupus）和红狼（C. rufus）之间历史杂交的结果；(2)灰狼（C. lupus）和土狼（C. latrans）杂交的结果；或(3)与红狼（C. rufus）密切相关的一个独特物种，C. lycaon。尽管争论仍然存在，但最近的分子研究表明，东部狼不是灰狼的亚种，也不是灰狼/土狼杂交的结果。在19世纪后期土狼向东传播之前，东部狼更可能是一个独特的物种，狼。然而，狼狼与狼狼和狼狼之间的当代杂交在其目前的范围内存在，使其目前的分类特征复杂化。虽然杂交可能会降低狼毛线虫的分类独特性，但这并不一定是负面影响。杂交可能增强了东部狼的适应潜力，使它们能够在快速变化的环境中更有效地利用可用资源。
Eastern North American wolves have long been recognized as morphologically distinct from both coyotes and gray wolves. This has led to questions regarding their origins and taxonomic status. Eastern wolves are mainly viewed as: (1) a smaller subspecies of gray wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), potentially the result of historical hybridization between gray wolves (C. lupus) and red wolves (C. rufus), (2) a hybrid, the result of gray wolf (C. lupus) and coyote (C. latrans) interbreeding, or (3) a distinct species, C. lycaon, closely related to the red wolf (C. rufus). Although debate persists, recent molecular studies suggest that the eastern wolf is not a gray wolf subspecies, nor the result of gray wolf/coyote hybridization. Eastern wolves were more likely a distinct species, C. lycaon, prior to the eastward spread of coyotes in the late 1800s. However, contemporary interbreeding exits between C. lycaon to both C. lupus and C. latrans over much of its present range complicating its present taxonomic characterization. While hybridization may be reducing the taxonomic distinctiveness of C. lycaon, it should not necessarily be viewed as negative influence. Hybridization may be enhancing the adaptive potential of eastern wolves, allowing them to more effectively exploit available resources in rapidly changing environments.