Evaluating the Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf (2019) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 7-16
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From page 7... ...
The fundamental unit of taxonomy and evolution is the species. Members of the same species share a common evolutionary history and a common evolutionary path to the future.
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In particular, the appropriate taxonomic status of two types of wolf -- the red wolf, Canis rufus, and the Mexican gray wolf, Canis lupus baileyi -- has been the source of controversy among those who seek to devise appropriate conservation and management strategies for these animals. Assessing the evidence for the taxonomic status of these two wolves is the purpose of this report.
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The committee will summarize the relevant science about the red wolf and Mexican gray wolf, includ ing research on the animals' evolutionary history and genetic diversity. The committee will deliver its findings and conclusions in a brief report divided into two sections, one for the red wolf and one for the Mexican gray wolf.
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Another reason is that knowing which wolves were where and when can provide critical evidence about what types of wolves are most closely related, which of them are distantly related, and which wolves might resemble each other for reasons other than their sharing of a recent common ancestor. This report is focused on four canids: the gray wolf, the Mexican gray wolf, the red wolf, and the coyote (Table 1-1)
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Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) Geographic range of C
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New data and innovative methods of analysis can often help resolve these controversies. THE KEY ISSUES IN RECOGNIZING SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES Controversies over the taxonomic validity of the Mexican gray wolf and the red wolf have arisen, in part, because different scientists may apply the criteria for defining species and subspecies differently.
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The modern definitions of subspecies follow the spirit of these original definitions, focusing on congruent variation in many characteristics that distinguishes one geographically distinct set of populations from other sets. The various definitions generally differ on the specific quantitative criteria they use for when a subspecies designation is warranted, but all definitions emphasize geographic separation and distinctive sets of trait values.
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In Chapter 3 the committee describes methods for analyzing genetic and genomic data concerning the differences among wolf taxa and their evolutionary relationships to one another. Different interpretations of the same genetic and genomic data have inspired divergent opinions on the validity of the taxonomic status of the Mexican gray wolf and red wolf.
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2000. Historical aspen recruitment, elk, and wolves in northern Yellowstone National Park, USA.
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