Wolves, dogs and coyotes...separate species?

Question

Generally it seems to be that we define species by the ability to breed within the group. Why is it that wolves, coyotes and dogs are considered separate species when they can interbreed?

Answer 1

Same species, different genetic make-up.
I think it is comparable to when humans of different races
mate--the offspring are still human, of course, and they have characteristics of both parents.
Where I live there are many wolves and coyotes. They do interbreed with the domestic dogs, and sometimes the results are great. I have the most awesome female dog who is a combination of dog and coyote. She was abandoned and we adopted her. She is great with my kids and me, but very ferocious when new people come around us. She's also an incredible huntress, and as much as she loves us, she must break away periodically to chase rabbits. She has the most spine-tingling howl when the moon is full. Is she a dog or a coyote? I don't need to know. She is a patchwork canine, and we adore her.

Answer 2

Dogs were re-classified in 1993 from 'Canis familiaris' to 'Canis lupus familiaris', and as such are considered to be a sub-species of the wolf.

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are a separate species, but they can produce fertile offspring when crossed with either dogs or wolves, because they share the same chromosome count.

The wolf (including the dingo), coyote, jackal, and domestic dog all have 78 chromosomes arranged in 39 pairs. This allows them to hybridise freely (barring size or behavioural constraints) and produce fertile offspring. The wolf, coyote, and golden jackal diverged around 3 to 4 million years ago.

Answer 3

Actually, the definition of a species has changed through time. It was once generally considered to be a characteristic of species that members of a species can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. This has changed over the years, but is still one of the simplest tests for most speciation.

If this criteria is applied to wolves (canis lupus) and domesticated dogs (canis lupus familiaris), we see that genetically and morphologically they are so similar that dogs are considered a subspecies of wolves.

Coyotes (canis latrans) can also breed with dogs and wolves, but the differences in their structures and behaviors cause most zoologists to consider them a separate species.

Answer 4

It mainly depends on which defintion you take for species the biological or the evilutionary concept. Then animals may be able to breed because they are close enough in their phyletic tree. The real question is is theri off-spring a viable, (i.e. re-producable) off spring? Sure they can have a litter but if they are all sterile and can not produce save for 1 1 in a million mutation then no they are no the same species. Different numbers of chromosomes that do not line up during meiosis.

Answer 5

Species and Speciation, basic concepts in the classification of organisms. In simple terms, a single species is a distinct kind of organism, with a characteristic shape, size, behavior, and habitat that remains constant from year to year. A biological species is defined as a group of natural populations that mate and produce offspring with one another, but do not breed with other populations. This definition includes genealogical relationships as well as physical properties, and emphasizes that species evolve independently of one another.
Scientific classification: Dogs and their relatives make up the family Canidae in the order Carnivora. The gray wolf is classified as Canis lupus; the coyote as Canis latrans; the red fox as Vulpes vulpes; the fennec as Vulpes zerda; the kit fox as Vulpes velox; the arctic fox as Alopex lagopus; the raccoon dog as Nyctereutes procyonoides; the African hunting dog as Lycaon pictus; and the dhole is classified as Cuon alpinus. The domestic dog, formerly classified as Canis familiaris, is now classified as Canis lupus familiaris.
Dog Family, group of intelligent, carnivorous mammals that includes domestic dogs and their relatives, coyotes, wolves, foxes, jackals, dholes, raccoon dogs, and bush dogs. The dog family is known scientifically as Canidae, and its members are commonly called canids.
A black-backed jackal in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, flees with a piece of scavenged meat. Although jackals hunt small prey, they also scavenge from the kills of larger predators, stealing food when they can or waiting for the predator to depart before eating.
The gray wolf, also called the timber wolf, inhabits mountains, forests, taiga, plains, and tundra across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. One of at least 36 species belonging to the family Canidae, which includes the coyote, jackal, fox, and domestic dog, the wolf is characterized by powerful teeth, a bushy tail, and round pupils, and lives and hunts in packs. The family Canidae is believed to have originated in North America during the Eocene Epoch 55 million to 38 million years ago.

This may help... =)

Answer 6

The wolf the common ancestor of the domestic dog; whereas, the coyotes are a close relative to the domestic dog. They can interbreed because they share the same number of chromosomes.

I think their offspring are fertile

Answer 7

Dogs ARE wolves, Canis lupus. Coyotes are Canis latrans, a different species that does not bred well with Canis lupus.

Answer 8

Dogs came from wolves. Coyotes really aren't related as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 9

If the animal can breed and that generation can further produce offspring , it is the same species. If they mix and create sterile offspring, they are not.

Like a donkey and a horse create a mule, which is sterile.

Answer 10

coyotes can not produce offspring with either dogs or wolves.
Wolves have not been domesticated, but I'm not sure why they're listed as a seperate species...isn't it canis lupis and canis familiaris? Wolves produce viable offsrping with dogs all the time.
Good question.