There are no signs that hybrids of dog and wolf have contributed to the Scandinavian wolf population – a matter that has been discussed, especially in Norway.
There are no signs that hybrids of dog and wolf have contributed to the Scandinavian wolf population – a matter that has been discussed, especially in Norway. These wolves appear to have originated from the Nordic region or adjacent parts of Northern Europe, new genetic research from Uppsala University shows.
In every mammal, the male-specific Y chromosome is passed on from father to son only. Patrilines (lines of descent) are thus formed. These can be followed very far back in time, enabling the origin of animals living today to be traced.
Linnéa Smeds, bioinformatician and PhD student at the Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, surveyed the composition of the wolf’s Y chromosome. Subsequently, she compared Y chromosomes in wolves from Scandinavia, Finland and other parts of the world, and in dogs.
“The lines of descent found in the Scandinavian wolf population haven’t been found in any dogs,” says Hans Ellegren, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, who headed the present study.
Continue reading at Uppsala University.
Image via Pixabay.
