Talk:Eastern wolf

Updating taxonomy
I will be updating the Canidae taxonomy and common names to match Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed, 2005) as follows:


 * Family Canidae
 * Genus Vulpes
 * Vulpes lagopus - Arctic Fox (4 subspecies)
 * Vulpes macrotis - Kit Fox
 * Vulpes pallida - Pale Fox (5 subspecies)
 * Vulpes bengalensis - Bengal Fox
 * Vulpes cana - Blanford's Fox
 * Vulpes chama - Cape Fox
 * Vulpes corsac Corsac Fox (2 subspecies)
 * Vulpes ferrilata - move Tibetan Fox to Tibetan Sand Fox (includes ekloni)
 * Vulpes rueppellii - Rüppell's Fox (5 subspecies)
 * Vulpes velox - Swift Fox (includes hebes)
 * Vulpes vulpes - Red Fox (45 subspecies)
 * Vulpes zerda - move Fennec to Fennec Fox
 * Genus Atelocynus
 * Atelocynus microtis - Short-eared Dog
 * Genus Canis
 * Canis adustus - Side-striped Jackal (6 subspecies)
 * Canis aureus - Golden Jackal (13 subspecies)
 * Canis latrans - Coyote (19 subspecies)
 * Canis lupus - Grey Wolf - (37 subspecies, including dingo, familiaris and lycaon)
 * Canis mesomelas - Black-backed Jackal (2 subspecies)
 * Canis simensis - Ethiopian Wolf (2 subspecies)
 * Genus Cerdocyon
 * Cerdocyon thous - Crab-eating Fox (6 subspecies)
 * Genus Chrysocyon
 * Chrysocyon brachyurus - Maned Wolf
 * Genus Cuon
 * Cuon alpinus - Dhole (3 subspecies)
 * Genus Dusicyon
 * Dusicyon australis - Falkland Islands Wolf
 * Genus Lycalopex
 * Lycalopex culpaeus - Culpeo (6 subspecies) was in Pseudalopex genus
 * Lycalopex fulvipes - Darwin's Fox was in Pseudalopex genus
 * Lycalopex griseus - South American Gray Fox new article
 * Lycalopex gymnocercus - Pampas Fox (5 subspecies) was in Pseudalopex genus
 * Lycalopex sechurae - Sechuran Fox new article
 * Lycalopex vetulus - Hoary Fox was in Pseudalopex genus
 * Genus Lycaon
 * Lycaon pictus - African Wild Dog (5 subspecies)
 * Genus Nyctereutes
 * Nyctereutes procyonoides - Raccoon Dog (5 subspecies)
 * Genus Otocyon
 * Otocyon megalotis - Bat-eared Fox (2 subspecies)
 * Genus Speothos
 * Speothos venaticus - Bush Dog (3 subspecies)
 * Genus Urocyon
 * Urocyon cinereoargenteus - Gray Fox (16 subspecies)
 * Urocyon littoralis - Island Fox (6 subspecies)

I will hold off for a few days for comments. Since I'm posting this in multiple places, please contact me on my talk page if you have any concerns. I'll wait a week to give folks time to comment. -
 * A signature may have helped editors to do that. William Harris •   (talk) •  10:46, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

y-Chromosome analysis
Hello All, regarding the lastest from Oetjens 2018. Past studies have focused on mDNA (female lineage) or nuclear DNA (from the nucleus of the cell). This study focuses on y-DNA (male lineage) and in particular for dogs both modern and ancient, however the one Great Lakes wolf specimen included in this study was of interest. High genetic divergence - its male lineage does not match known coyotes and wolves. The researchers will next look wider to ascertain if there are coyotes or wolves - including other eastern wolves - with this unique lineage.

(My interpretation: if the lineage cannot be found among coyotes and gray wolves, that would indicate that a special type of wolf exists in the Great Lakes region with a unique male lineage. It may be that this male line has mixed with female gray wolves and coyotes in the past due to a lack of mates, which is why other studies of the female line found indication of gray wolf and coyote. The male lineage would therefore be Canis lycaon.) William Harris •   (talk) •  11:11, 21 May 2018 (UTC)

Recent research
Research from 2012 suggests this creature is actually its own species Booger-mike (talk) 15:53, 18 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Already covered in the "taxonomic debate" section, and even more recent studies have not further clarified. In short, still indeterminate, and the 2012 study is not definitive. oknazevad (talk) 16:06, 18 July 2019 (UTC)

Okay, I understand Booger-mike (talk) 16:23, 31 July 2019 (UTC)

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Discussion on Taxonomy (consensus)
I understand that the topic of the wolf's taxonomy has been debated, including on this talk page, but I've come across a source that describes a consensus that has emerged on this debate.

"Previously, some considered them a subspecies of gray wolves (C. lupus), while others argued that they were the result of past hybridization between gray wolves and coyotes. More recently, there has been a general consensus that they are a unique species of wolf native to eastern North America, Benson said."

Link here

This is an assessment of consensus made by a subject matter expert, and is far more recent than the other sources used by this article describing the debate. I'm asking if anyone here is aware of any competing recent sources that describe the consensus - or lack thereof - differently. If no one can find any, then the lead and infobox need be updated accordingly. CASalt (talk) 06:31, 20 May 2024 (UTC)