Modern Wolves' Genetics A Legacy From Dogs

Scientists have found that the black coat color in modern wolves - and presumably other traits as well - come from outbreeding with dogs. Scientists were first alerted to this shift when wolves in the Alps began displaying black coats after breeding with dogs, and their genetic sleuthing led them to the same conclusion in the Americas.

After a great deal of genetic testing, Stanford researcher Dr. Gregory S. Barsch discovered that the black coat mutation probably arose in dogs about 46,000 years ago. Since the domestic dog dates back some time between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, it is unclear whether the mutation first arose in dogs, or in the wolves which preceded them. Dr. Barsch's co-author, evolutionary biologist Robert K. Wayne, believes that even if the mutation did arise in wolves in the old world, it was passed to dogs in the old world, who then passed it on to wolves in the new world when they were brought across by explorers.

This study is just one of the many amazing results which has spun off the Dog Genome Project, which began by successfully mapping out the DNA of a female boxer named Tasha. The researchers were then able to compare Tasha's genes to those of other breeds, which helped to create a library of dog DNA. Although this information is primarily being used to help identify and address genetic disorders and properties, it has had a lot of interesting side projects as well.