Genetic variation and subspecific status of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) in Saudi Arabia

This work represents the most extensive genetic study of the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) in Arabia and the first considering genetic data from multiple locations within Saudi Arabia. Previous suggestion of the occurrence of two subspecies of wolves in Arabia is not supported by this study...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mammalian biology : Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 2014-11, Vol.79 (6), p.409-413
Main Authors: Bray, Timothy C., Mohammed, Osama Badri, Butynski, Thomas M., Wronski, Torsten, Sandouka, Mohamed Abdelkader, Alagaili, Abdulaziz Nasser
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Anatomy
Animal Ecology
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Canis lupus
Evolutionary Biology
Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management
Genetic variation
Histology
Life Sciences
Morphology
Saudi Arabia
Short Communication
Taxonomy
Wolf
Zoology
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Summary:This work represents the most extensive genetic study of the grey wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) in Arabia and the first considering genetic data from multiple locations within Saudi Arabia. Previous suggestion of the occurrence of two subspecies of wolves in Arabia is not supported by this study. The genetic evidence suggests that the wolves of Saudi Arabia are genetically variable and more closely related to the Eurasian wolf Canis lupus group (dog included) than to the Indian wolf C. l. pallipes. The genetic diversity observed for C. lupus in Saudi Arabia indicates that the subspecific status C. l. arabs should be retained for the Arabian wolf. What remains unclear is the degree to which genetic introgression from domestic dogs has influenced the composition and integrity of C. lupus in Saudi Arabia.
ISSN:1616-5047
1618-1476
DOI:10.1016/j.mambio.2014.06.005