Wolves mating dogs leads to gene mutation for survival

BEIJING. February 6. KAZINFORM Wolves have acquired a genetic mutation for dark coat colour through mating with domestic dogs, media quoted scientists as saying on Friday.

Dark coats could help wolves adapt and survive in new environments, the international team argues. Light-coloured coats are dominant in wolves living on tundra, but dark coats have become common among wolves living in forested areas of North America. The findings come from a genetic analysis of wolf populations in Europe and North America. "We usually think that dogs developed from wolves. The work shows an example where dogs gave something back to wolves," Greg Barsh, from Stanford University in California, told Science magazine. Natural selection has ensured that the trait increased in frequency in the woodland wolves. But it remains unclear about what is so advantageous about black coats in forested areas. Tundra habitat is expected to decline over coming years due to the northern expansion of boreal forests under the influence of climate change. As this happens, dark colouring could help grey wolves adapt to their changing environment, Kazinform cites Xinhua.