Two New Wolf Species
Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 30th, 2007
New research indicates there are two distinct and separate Indian wolf species, Canis himalayensis and Canis indica.
Here is the abstract of the breaking journal article about this:
Two small endangered populations of Indian wolves were recently shown to be distant from other wolf and dog mtDNA lineages characterized so far. None of the inner branches in the tree of canid species based on partial hypervariable D-loop sequences were, however, statistically supported by the data raising the question whether the two Indian wolf lineages represent two new species, occupying an intermediate position between Canis latrans and C. lupus or have diverged from the sub-species of C. lupus due to isolation and drift. Here we report complete D-loop, cytochrome b, and 16S rRNA sequences data for 23 additional wolves from India analysed in the context of other canid species. Extended analyses of D-loop data and partial sequences of 16S rRNA showed highly reticulated pattern and were unable to resolve unambiguously the phylogenetic relationship of Indian wolves among other canid species. The phylogenetic reconstructions of cytochrome b sequences, however gave significant statistical support for the inner branches supporting genetic distinction of the two Indian wolf lineages within themselves as well as from all other wolves of the world, including individuals belonging to subspecies C. lupus chanco and C. lupus pallipes to which the two Indian wolf populations have been traditionally assigned. Their genetic differentiation relative to worldwide variation of wolves supports the suggestion to treat them as separate wolf species, C. himalayensis and C. indica. “Mitochondrial DNA coding region sequences support the phylogenetic distinction of two Indian wolf species,” by R. K. Aggarwal, T. Kivisild, J. Ramadevi; Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 45 (2), 163–172, May 2007.
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About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Good news, genetic analysis paves the way to conserve these distinct populations. There are at least 32 subspecies of the gray wolf which leads me to believe additional new species will be identified.
Very Kool…. Wolves are awesome…!!!!!
As a big fan of wolves and wolf research, I’d say this is spectacular news!
hey loren, very interesting new article about new species of wolf. thanks bill