A new species is evolving right before our eyes — an ultra-successful mix of wolves, coyotes and dogs

[Kludes]

Our deer are bigger bodied too its just what it takes to survive on the northeast

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[chas0218]

Our deer are bigger bodied too its just what it takes to survive on the northeast

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Although I have hunted 2 areas that has 80lbs. mature doe. Both areas are almost complete opposite ends of the state (north/south).

[d-bone20917]

Our deer are bigger bodied too its just what it takes to survive on the northeast

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Bergmann's Rule. 

[Mr VJP]

A good week of coyote hunting

 

[Curmudgeon]

I have read several books on the evolution of canines. It is a fascinating subject. The best current thinking is that domestic dogs originated from multiple populations of ancient wolves. According to this wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_domestic_dog- these were not gray wolves. Gray wolves were evolving from these early wolf species during the same period.

 

What is really interesting about canids is their morphological plasticity. Look at the variations in domestic dogs. They range from dust mop, handbag dogs to massifs and wolf hounds. They are very easy to manipulate in just several generations. The same is true with other canids. If you aren't familiar with Dimitri Belyaev's work with foxes, you should read up on it. Belyaev was a geneticist that fell out of favor with the Soviets in the 50s. He was assigned to work on a fur farm. Not willing to abandon his discipline, he started doing genetic experiments with foxes. In a test population, he removed any fox that showed fear or aggression and kept any fox that trusted people. In about 10 generations he created a new animal, a domestic fox. It changed color. It's teeth and jaws got smaller. Like domestic dogs, it retained a lot of puppy-like characteristics.

 

I bring this up because it applies directly to this thread. Not only are all canids very flexible genetically, the hybrid in question- eastern coyote - has a greater variety of genetic material to work with than any native species. It will be whatever environmental pressures drive it to become. Hunting them will promote the coyote genes that respond with increased reproduction - as they do when wolves hunt and kill them. If their food is limited to mostly deer, they will become more wolf-like. If they are dependent on small prey, coyote genes will be expressed more. Catch some and breed them and create a domestic animal.

 

The current species is what they call "unintended consequences". People removed the wolves. Since the end of extensive agriculture in the east, we have created a semi-wild environment void of a large predator. Then, we got one.

[growalot]

Actually nieghbors friend from out West was visiting and had his domesticated wild coyote with him...she was far more beautiful than any I have seen in the wild here..taller than expected but much skinner and small "framed".  she was friendly once she sized me up and I showed no fear...but the wild remained in her eyes...there was no doubt about that...