Substantial red wolf genetic ancestry persists in wild canids of southwestern Louisiana

Concerns over red wolf (Canis rufus) extinction caused by hybridization with coyotes (C. latrans) led to the capture and removal of remnant wild wolves from southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas, USA, during the 1970s. Here we show that despite decades of unmitigated hybridization, and declaration of endangered red wolves as functionally extinct in the wild, red wolf mitochondrial or nuclear DNA ancestry persists in ~55% of contemporary wild canids sampled in southwestern Louisiana. Surprisingly, one individual had 78–100% red wolf ancestry, which is within the range for 75% red wolf, red wolf backcross, or putative red wolf, depending on estimation method. Our findings bolster support for designation of red wolves as a distinct species, demonstrate a critical need for the United States Government to consider adopting an existing but unimplemented hybrid policy, and suggest that immediate reassessment of canid management and taxonomic designation in southwestern Louisiana may be...针对红狼（Canis rufus）与郊狼（C. latrans）杂交导致物种灭绝的担忧，促使美国相关部门于1970年代将美国路易斯安那州西南部与得克萨斯州东南部的残存野生红狼捕获并移除。本研究表明，尽管数十年来杂交现象持续未受遏制，且濒危红狼已被宣告为野生功能性灭绝，但在路易斯安那州西南部采集的当代野生犬科动物样本中，约55%仍保留红狼线粒体DNA或核DNA血统。令人意外的是，有1只个体的红狼血统占比达78%至100%，根据不同的估算方法，该比例处于75%红狼、红狼回交个体或疑似红狼的区间范围内。本研究结果进一步支持将红狼列为独立物种的分类认定，同时证明美国政府亟需考虑采纳一项已制定但尚未实施的杂交物种管理政策，并提示需立即对路易斯安那州西南部的犬科动物管理方案与分类学认定进行重新评估……