Black Wolves: Descendants of black dogs

Ashley C. -- Black wolves have never been seen as a hybrid breed, but in this article it shows how, the black wolf was really engineered by a cross between a wolf and a black dog. The black coat of the wolf has proven to be a helpful trait, considering how the wolves artic habitat is shrinking. Researchers have traced the dominant gene which is responsible for the black coat, they found the gene came from black dogs, and was passed to wolves, and even coyotes. It was passed by hybridization. They say it could have happened as early as the arrival of the European dogs as long as 14,000 years ago, when people migrated to north America across the Bering Strait. Now black fur is a very common thing among wolf packs, probably because there are not a lot of snow covered environments. Researchers show the wolves coat color and habitat often vary on adaption and natural selection. Researchers say that the black coloration may help wolves survive, because of their always changing environment.

I liked this article because I never knew that black wolves were a cross between a dog and a wolf, I always thought they were just another color variation of a wolf. What drew me to this article was its headline “Black Wolves Descendents of dogs”  I have always been interested in wolves ever since i was little, I was always watching animal planet, and the wolf documentaries were my favorite. I think people should read this article because I do not think a lot of people know black wolves are not just wolves, their wolves-dogs. 

Link:  Black Wolves: Descendants of black dogs