The black fur of some North American wolves is the result of long-ago dalliances with domestic dogs, probably the companions of the earliest Native Americans.
And a black coat seems to provide an advantage to forest-dwelling wolves, meaning dogs passed on some useful genetic diversity to their wild cousins.
“This is pretty unique,” said biologist Tovi Anderson of Stanford University, lead author of the study published Thursday in Science. “Typically, you’d expect gene flow from domestic to wild animals would not be beneficial.”
Anderson and her team compared the genes of wolves from Yellowstone National Park and the Canadian Arctic to those of domestic dogs and coyotes. They found that, in each species, the black individuals have the same mutation, which first arose about 45,000 years ago. And molecular-clock analysis showed the mutation was oldest in dogs, suggesting it originated with them and then spread to wolves and coyotes through interbreeding.
This all happened in North America, because there are no black wolves in Europe or Asia (except for an Italian population that has hybridized very recently with dogs). And wolves picked up the black-coat mutation in the distant past.
Source
And a black coat seems to provide an advantage to forest-dwelling wolves, meaning dogs passed on some useful genetic diversity to their wild cousins.
“This is pretty unique,” said biologist Tovi Anderson of Stanford University, lead author of the study published Thursday in Science. “Typically, you’d expect gene flow from domestic to wild animals would not be beneficial.”
Anderson and her team compared the genes of wolves from Yellowstone National Park and the Canadian Arctic to those of domestic dogs and coyotes. They found that, in each species, the black individuals have the same mutation, which first arose about 45,000 years ago. And molecular-clock analysis showed the mutation was oldest in dogs, suggesting it originated with them and then spread to wolves and coyotes through interbreeding.
This all happened in North America, because there are no black wolves in Europe or Asia (except for an Italian population that has hybridized very recently with dogs). And wolves picked up the black-coat mutation in the distant past.
Source
Photo Source: Roni Chastain
I have a black wolf dog!!!
amazing
Since all domestic dogs descended from wolves, the basic genetics of the wolf probably also holds the potential gene adaptation for black fur. It has been shown that dogs and wolves can adapt shape and sizes and new features (e.g., webbing between toes)faster than most animals, due to what has been called the chameleon gene.
They are so beautiful! 😀
Beautiful :)
Wolves touch my heart
We have black coyotes here in Ohio. We see them pretty often. I think, but I'm not sure that they are a cross between a coyote and a black wolf. It's very interesting that we have them here in Ohio.
I live in Ohio and I've never seen black coyotes, are you sure you aren't just seeing stray dogs? Wolves don't live in Ohio at all and they aren't likely to anytime soon.
Since both dogs and wolves share a common ancestor, as opposed to being descended from each other, I'm not so convinced wolves ever had the black mutation. Though I do see it as a possibility.
My first thoughts on this were "rubbish" but I suppose 45 thousand years ago a domestic dog would probably have resembled a wolf, unlike some flat faced or other bad genetic result of human interference.
My friend lived in Alaska with her Tibetan Mastiffs. One of her dogs was photographed playing with a black wolf. Judy is now deceased, but I am sure she would have read this article and would have shared the photo. See the photo here.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=500633250071771&set=pb.100003753019427.-2207520000.0.&type=3&theater
beautiful animal.
beautiful.
I�� Wolves. ALOT. They are gorgeous...
Wolves Are GORGEOUS ANIMALS. Y'ALL LEAVE THEM ALONE. I LOVE WOLVES
If dogs descended from wolves (Anderson and her team compared the genes of wolves from Yellowstone National Park and the Canadian Arctic to those of domestic dogs and coyotes. They found that, in each species, the black individuals have the same mutation, which first arose about 45,000 years ago. And molecular-clock analysis showed the mutation was oldest in dogs, suggesting it originated with them and then spread to wolves and coyotes through interbreeding.) then hmmm show me the absolute proof that the mutation came from dogs, perhaps the mutation was passed to the dogs...really who here was there 45,000 years ago to know? I question the study and the individuals who were involved as to their expertise and their ability...scientists say a lot of things some supposition some fact. some supposition verified by enhanced fact
Led Zeppelin wrote a song about it....
They're beautiful and I wish we'd just stop killing everything we see. We are the most destructive invasive species ever known. I'm not proud that I'm a human being.
Many years ago, it was reported a black wolf saved a man's life. During a blizzard in northern MN, a young Native American man eventually collapsed along side of the road after his car gotten stuck. He would have frozen to death had it not been for this large black wolf that laid on top of him during the night. He assumed it was a beautiful domestic dog. It was only after rescuers arrived that he learned it was actually a wolf!