DaddyBobMN t1_iugrpwz wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:15 AM

Eastern coyotes have been shown to have a significant percentage of wolf DNA which is why they are larger than genetically purer coyote populations from out west and could explain a somewhat wolf-like appearance in certain individuals.

Treestyles t1_iui900t wrote on October 31, 2022 at 3:13 PM

2/3 coyote 1/4 wolf 1/10 dog is the makeup that gets repeated, but i see two types, one more coy one more wolf.

DaddyBobMN t1_iuilw4e wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:40 PM

65/25/10 or therabouts seems to be what studies have found.

It's interesting that there may be a correlation between habitat and genetic admixture based on prey size. Eastern coyotes in more settled or urban habitats of New England have tended to be smaller, like a coyote, and show less wolf DNA in their lineage. Those in more remote habitats, especially where large populations of deer are found, are often larger and this is most likely due to the greater percentage of wolf genetics in their makeup.

So in effect there are two distinct groups of hybrids developing in the northeast over time.

Overall it's a fascinating subject for someone like me with a background in wildlife ecology and evolutionary biology. I am jealous of the folks who get to study stuff like this for a living.

Jmacaroni25 t1_iuix5zx wrote on October 31, 2022 at 5:55 PM

They actually have wolves out west though... They don't call coyotes coydogs. And they are actually living in small numbers in the wild so don't you think the coyotes there would have wolf DNA also??? It's because it's colder here with more extreme winters so the animal needs more of a fat reserve and thicker fur.

Kixeliz t1_iuize9h wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:09 PM

The thinking is the numbers are so much smaller for wolves in this part of the world that the wolves end up with coyotes more often. The numbers change with every animal, cause that's how breeding works, but the DNA shows what we see around here is a hybrid of the two (and even some domesticated dog mixed in). Apparently their common ancestor was only 50,000 years ago so they can breed together easily. For some reason this doesn't sit well with people who want the two animals separated. idk if it's because killing coyotes is more acceptable than shooting something part wolf or the associations we have with both animals or what.

flambeaway t1_iuj4etb wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:43 PM

I would assume it's that people want both species preserved, rather than a love for one and a hatred for the other.

Also the only reason we don't have wolves is because killing them is EXTREMELY acceptable, at least historically. It's also why almost every island nation hunted them to extinction centuries ago.

Kixeliz t1_iuj4sdy wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:45 PM

Nah, the ones who seem to be the most against it are hunters or wolf lovers who refuse to think they'd lower themselves to breeding with coyotes. Just my observation. It is weird how the reason the eastern coyote/coywolf exists is specifically because we hunted wolves to extinction, making breeding with coyotes about survival. We both hunted them to extinction and domesticated them and now argue over their percentage of DNA.

DaddyBobMN t1_iuj8d4t wrote on October 31, 2022 at 7:09 PM

Coyotes and wolves separated as species relatively recently. The most simplistic reason is one got bigger (stayed bigger is more accurate) and one got smaller and now tens of thousands of years later there is an opportunity for the return of an intermediate sized canid in this particular part of the continent. Wolves are actually found throughout northern latitudes across the globe and smaller canids seem to have diverged from them more than once, coyotes being one example here.

Cold weather is part of the reason, Bergmann's rule covers size in relation to climate, but wolves and coyotes probably also diverged due to prey species and what was available where.