Elucidating the Korean wolf genetic affinities through whole-genome sequencing

The taxonomic status of the now likely extirpated Korean Peninsula wolves has been debated. We analysed the resequenced genomes of a historical Korean wolf dated to the beginning of the 20th century, and a captive wolf originally located at the Pyongyang Central Zoo in the context of a broader wolf dataset, in order to reveal for the first time its genetic affinities to other wolf populations. The analyses revealed regional wolf population structure patterns in East Asia with potential conservation consequences in the Korean Peninsula, but also on a regional scale.