Wolves in the Great Lakes region: a phylogeographic puzzle

摘要: Empirical studies demonstrate that natural hybridization in animals is more common than thought so far (Mallet 2005), particularly among species originated recently through cycles of population contraction–expansion arising from climate changes over the last glacial period, Pleistocene. In addition, post-glacial global growth human populations has fostered anthropogenic events, mediated by habitat changes, persecution large predators and introduction alien (Allendorf et al. 2001). The Canis lineage shows cases both hybridization, exacerbating controversy about number should be formally validated taxonomic lists, evolutionary role genetic introgression ways to manage hybrids with invading wild or domesticated populations. study Wheeldon (2010), published this issue Molecular Ecology, adds a new piece intricate puzzle evolution taxonomy North America. They show sympatric wolves (C. lupus) coyotes (C. latrans) are not (extensively) hybridizing western American Great Lakes region (GLR). Widespread between genetically distinct, but closely related, wolf-like (the eastern wolf) occurred northeastern regions et al.’s (2010) opinion, these data prove definitely two different wolf gray C. lupus C. lycaon) their distributed across GLR.