Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes.
Using artificial insemination we attempted to produce hybrids between captive, male, western, gray wolves (Canis lupus) and female, western coyotes (Canis latrans) to determine whether their gametes would be compatible and the coyotes could produce and nurture offspring. The results contribute new i...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:3aa080e2453d43e5a9f64d0916b96db2 2023-05-15T15:50:59+02:00 Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. L David Mech Bruce W Christensen Cheryl S Asa Margaret Callahan Julie K Young 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 https://doaj.org/article/3aa080e2453d43e5a9f64d0916b96db2 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3934856?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 https://doaj.org/article/3aa080e2453d43e5a9f64d0916b96db2 PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 2, p e88861 (2014) Medicine R Science Q article 2014 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 2022-12-31T14:56:25Z Using artificial insemination we attempted to produce hybrids between captive, male, western, gray wolves (Canis lupus) and female, western coyotes (Canis latrans) to determine whether their gametes would be compatible and the coyotes could produce and nurture offspring. The results contribute new information to an ongoing controversy over whether the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) is a valid unique species that could be subject to the U. S. Endangered Species Act. Attempts with transcervically deposited wolf semen into nine coyotes over two breeding seasons yielded three coyote pregnancies. One coyote ate her pups, another produced a resorbed fetus and a dead fetus by C-section, and the third produced seven hybrids, six of which survived. These results show that, although it might be unlikely for male western wolves to successfully produce offspring with female western coyotes under natural conditions, western-gray-wolf sperm are compatible with western-coyote ova and that at least one coyote could produce and nurture hybrid offspring. This finding in turn demonstrates that gamete incompatibility would not have prevented western, gray wolves from inseminating western coyotes and thus producing hybrids with coyote mtDNA, a claim that counters the view that the eastern wolf is a separate species. However, some of the difficulties experienced by the other inseminated coyotes tend to temper that finding and suggest that more experimentation is needed, including determining the behavioral and physical compatibility of western gray wolves copulating with western coyotes. Thus although our study adds new information to the controversy, it does not settle it. Further study is needed to determine whether the putative Canis lycaon is indeed a unique species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus gray wolf Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLoS ONE 9 2 e88861 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q L David Mech Bruce W Christensen Cheryl S Asa Margaret Callahan Julie K Young Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Using artificial insemination we attempted to produce hybrids between captive, male, western, gray wolves (Canis lupus) and female, western coyotes (Canis latrans) to determine whether their gametes would be compatible and the coyotes could produce and nurture offspring. The results contribute new information to an ongoing controversy over whether the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) is a valid unique species that could be subject to the U. S. Endangered Species Act. Attempts with transcervically deposited wolf semen into nine coyotes over two breeding seasons yielded three coyote pregnancies. One coyote ate her pups, another produced a resorbed fetus and a dead fetus by C-section, and the third produced seven hybrids, six of which survived. These results show that, although it might be unlikely for male western wolves to successfully produce offspring with female western coyotes under natural conditions, western-gray-wolf sperm are compatible with western-coyote ova and that at least one coyote could produce and nurture hybrid offspring. This finding in turn demonstrates that gamete incompatibility would not have prevented western, gray wolves from inseminating western coyotes and thus producing hybrids with coyote mtDNA, a claim that counters the view that the eastern wolf is a separate species. However, some of the difficulties experienced by the other inseminated coyotes tend to temper that finding and suggest that more experimentation is needed, including determining the behavioral and physical compatibility of western gray wolves copulating with western coyotes. Thus although our study adds new information to the controversy, it does not settle it. Further study is needed to determine whether the putative Canis lycaon is indeed a unique species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
L David Mech Bruce W Christensen Cheryl S Asa Margaret Callahan Julie K Young |
author_facet |
L David Mech Bruce W Christensen Cheryl S Asa Margaret Callahan Julie K Young |
author_sort |
L David Mech |
title |
Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
title_short |
Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
title_full |
Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
title_fullStr |
Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
title_sort |
production of hybrids between western gray wolves and western coyotes. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 https://doaj.org/article/3aa080e2453d43e5a9f64d0916b96db2 |
genre |
Canis lupus gray wolf |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus gray wolf |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 2, p e88861 (2014) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3934856?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 https://doaj.org/article/3aa080e2453d43e5a9f64d0916b96db2 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088861 |
container_title |
PLoS ONE |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
e88861 |
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1766386015652544512 |