How come black wolf in dog’s clothing?
Washington, Feb 7 (IANS) Black wolves owe their coat to the cousins of the domestic dog, which bred with them thousands of years ago, transferring a gene responsible for the colour. The effect was more than just cosmetic: the resulting black wolves, which are found nearly exclusively in northern America, seem to have a selective advantage over lighter-coloured wolves in forested areas. It’s a rare instance of domestic animals – in this case, probably the dogs of the earliest Native Americans – contributing to the genetic variability of their wild counterparts in a way that affects both the recipients’ appearance and survival. “We usually think of domestication as something that is carried out to benefit humans,” said genetics professor Greg Barsh. “So we were really surprised to find that domestic animals can serve as a genetic reservoir that can benefit the natural populations from which they were derived,” he said. Barsh and graduate student Tovi Anderson collaborated with scientists
