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Interpretation of the genetic composition and taxonomic history of wolves in the western Great Lakes region (WGLR) of the United States has long been debated and has become more important to their conservation given the recent changes in their status under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, the two competing hypotheses on WGLR wolves are that they resulted from hybridization between (i) grey wolves ( Canis lupus) and western coyotes ( C. latrans) or (ii) between grey wolves and eastern wolves ( C. lycaon). We performed a genetic analysis of sympatric wolves and coyotes from the region to assess the degree of reproductive isolation between them and to clarify the taxonomic status of WGLR wolves. Based on data from maternal, paternal and bi-parental genetic markers, we demonstrate a clear genetic distinction between sympatric wolves and coyotes and conclude that they are reproductively isolated and that wolf-coyote hybridization in the WGLR is uncommon. The data reject the hypothesis that wolves in the WGLR derive from hybridization between grey wolves and western coyotes, and we conclude that the extant WGLR wolf population is derived from hybridization between grey wolves and eastern wolves. Grey-eastern wolf hybrids ( C. lupus × lycaon) comprise a substantial population that extends across Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and western Ontario. These findings have important implications for the conservation and management of wolves in North America, specifically concerning the overestimation of grey wolf numbers in the United States and the need to address policies for hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the genetic nature and relatedness of Canis latrans (Coyotes) in eastern Massachusetts (i.e., eastern Coyotes). We characterized 67 animals at the mitochondrial DNA control region, and 55 of those at 8 microsatellite loci. Structure analysis and factorial correspondence analysis of the microsatellite genotypes indicated that the eastern Coyotes in Massachusetts clustered with other northeastern Canis populations and away from western Coyotes, C. lycaon (Eastern Wolves), and C. lupus (Gray Wolves). They contained mitochondrial haplotypes from both western Coyotes and Eastern Wolves, consistent with their hybrid origin from these two species. There was no evidence of either C. lupus familiaris (Domestic Dog) or Gray Wolf mitochondrial DNA in the animals. These results indicate that the eastern Coyote should more appropriately be termed "Coywolf" to reflect their hybrid (C. latrans x lycaon) origin. Genetic data were also used to assess parental and kinship relationships, and confirmed that family units typically contain an unrelated breeding pair and their offspring. Lastly, a synthesis of knowledge of the eastern Coyote as well as implications for Wolf recovery in the northeast US is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sampling of feces for genetic studies of wild populations can be problematic because of the low quality and quantity of template DNA obtained. We used cotton swabs in the field to isolate the mucous layer on the surface of fresh wolf (Canis lupus, C. lycaon, and their hybrids) scats followed by immediate preservation, and compared microsatellite genotyping of DNA from these fresh field swabs (FS) to that of previously frozen laboratory swabs (LS). In single polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) of 2 multiplexes, amplification at 8 loci was higher in the FS samples (FS = 50%, LS = 15%; P 5 0.02) because proportion, quantity, and quality of large fragment wolf nuclear DNA from these samples was greater (2.5-25%, 6.25-62.5 ng/swab, 35% amplified at 1,000 base pairs [bp]) than from the LS samples (1.9%-10%, 4.7-25 ng/ swab, 10% amplified at 1,000 bp). Paired blood and fresh field-swabbed samples had identical genotypes. In 84 multiplex PCRs we found no evidence of allelic dropout associated with low template quality or quantity. We conclude that field swabbing of fresh wolf scat facilitates field storage and reduces the need for multiple amplifications at single microsatellite loci, thereby reducing the genotyping costs for wildlife projects that use noninvasive samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four "races" of wolves have been described in Ontario as follows: 1) Canis lupus hudsonicus inhabiting the subarctic tundra, 2) A race (Ontario type) of the eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) that inhabits the boreal forests, 3) A second race (Algonquin type) of C. l. lycaon that inhabit the deciduous forests of the upper Great Lakes, and 4) A small wolf (Tweed type) in central Ontario that has been proposed to be a hybrid between the Algonquin type wolf and expanding coyotes, Canis latrans. Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences and 8 microsatellite loci, we developed DNA profiles for 269 wolves from across Ontario. The distribution of mtDNA was predominantly coyote and the eastern wolf, Canis lycaon, in Algonquin Park and the southern Frontenac Axis with a combination of these mtDNA and gray wolf mtDNA in northern Ontario. Bayesian clustering grouped northern Ontario wolves independent of mtDNA with a second grouping of eastern and Tweed wolves from Algonquin. Individual clustering identified 3 groups represented by 1) northern Ontario wolves, 2) eastern wolves, and 3) Tweed wolves from the Frontenac Axis. Genomic representation analyses indicate that the Tweed wolves are hybrids between the coyote and the eastern wolf and represent the Ontario distribution of the eastern coyote, whereas the wolves in the upper Great Lakes region represent products of historic and/or continuing hybridization between C. lycaon and C. lupus. There was low structuring among wolves in these regions, and Algonquin suggesting a larger northern connected metapopulation with gene flow between the Ontario and Algonquin types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent genetic data indicate that the eastern wolf is not a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), but is a North American wolf more similar to the red wolf (C. rufus) and closely related to the coyote (C. latrans). The eastern wolf has been proposed as a separate species, C. lycaon. The largest protected area containing this wolf is Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, which is bounded to the south by areas containing the Tweed wolf or eastern coyote, a hybrid of the western coyote and eastern wolf. We assessed the relationships of animals in the park by using DNA profiles that comprised the genotype from 17 autosomal and 4 Y-linked microsatellite loci and the mitochondrial DNA control region. These profiles were used to establish maternity, paternity, and kin relationships for 102 wolves that were studied from 24 packs over a 12-year period. Genetic data do not support the hypothesis that a pack comprises an unrelated breeding pair and their offspring. There is evidence of frequent pack splitting, pack fusion, and adoption. Some unrelated individuals in the packs were identified as immigrants into the park. We found high levels of genetic structuring between the Tweed wolves to the southeast and the Algonquin Park wolves (RST = 0.114). Lower levels of genetic differentiation with animals to the north and west (RST = 0.057 and RST = 0.036) and high genetic diversity suggest that park animals are not an island population but the southern part of a larger metapopulation of C. lycaon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]