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# Wolves (*Canus lupus*)
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## Taxonomy
- **[[Life (Biology)]]**
- **[[Eukaryotes|Eukaryota (Domain)]]**
- **[[Animals|Animalia (Kingdom)]]**
- [[Chordates|Chordata (Phylum)]]
- [[Mammals|Mammalia (Class)]]
- [[Therians|Theria (Subclass)]]
- [[Placentals|Eutheria (Infraclass)]]
- [[Carnivorans|Carnivora (Order)]]
- [[Canidae (Family)]]
- *[[Canis (Genus)]]*
- *[[Wolves|Canis lupus]]* <small>WOLVES</small>
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## Habits
### Human–wolf interactions
#### Domestication
[[2023-0917. Wolves are thought to have been first domesticated in East Asia.|Wolves are thought to have been first domesticated in East Asia.]][^1]
[[2023-0917. All dog breeds descend from domesticated wolves.|‘All existent dog breeds descend from domesticated wolves.’]][^2]
[[2023-0917. Interbreeding with grey wolves was likely an important part of dog maintenance throughout early dog domestication.|Interbreeding with grey wolves was likely an important part of dog maintenance throughout early dog domestication.]][^3]
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## Status and conservation
### Population decline
#### Culling
[[2023-0917. European wolf populations have suffered extensive decline due to anthropogenic culling.|European wolf populations have suffered extensive decline due to anthropogenic culling.]][^4]
#### Hybridisation
[[2023-0917. Genetic contamination via crossbreeding with domestic dogs is a major concern in wolf conservation.|'One major concern in wolf (Canis lupus) conservation is the risk of genetic contamination due to crossbreeding with domestic dogs.']][^5]
[[2024-0722. Wolves are known to hybridise with other canid species, particularly in areas of range overlap and where population depletion reduces mate availability.|'Wolves are known to hybridize with other canid species, particularly in areas of range overlap and in cases where population depletion reduces mate availability.']][^6]
[[2023-0917. Wolf–dog hybridisation is a common event in the areas where large livestock guarding dogs are held in a traditional way.|Wolf–dog hybridisation is a common event in the areas where large livestock guarding dogs are held in a traditional way.]][^7]
[[2024-0501. There is evidence of dog-wolf hybridisation in Bulgaria.|There is evidence of dog-wolf hybridisation in Bulgaria.]][^8]
[[2023-0917. 'The most common haplotype in a sample of domestic dogs, was also found in 5 wolves, 2 of which revealing a signature of recent hybridization.'|'The most common haplotype in a sample of domestic dogs, was also found in 5 wolves, 2 of which revealing a signature of recent hybridization.']][^9]
- *See also:* [[Hybridisation]]
[^1]: Natia Kopaliani et al., ‘[[Kopaliani, et al. ‘Gene flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)’, 2014.|Gene Flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)]]’, *Journal of Heredity* 105, no. 3 (May 2014), p. 345.
[^2]: Natia Kopaliani et al, ‘[[Kopaliani, et al. ‘Gene flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)’, 2014.|Gene Flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)]]’, *Journal of Heredity* 105, no. 3 (1 May 2014), p. 345.
[^3]: Natia Kopaliani et al., ‘[[Kopaliani, et al. ‘Gene flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)’, 2014.|Gene Flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)]]’, *Journal of Heredity* 105, no. 3 (May 2014), p. 351.
[^4]: Andre E. Moura, et al. ‘[[Moura et al. ‘Unregulated hunting and Genetic Recovery from a Severe population decline_ the Cautionary Case of Bulgarian Wolves’, 2014.|Unregulated hunting and genetic recovery from a severe population decline: the cautionary case of Bulgarian wolves]]’, *Conservation Genetics* 15, no. 2, (1 November 2013), p. 1.
[^5]: Laura Iacolina, et al. ‘[[Iacolina, et al. ‘Y-Chromosome Microsatellite Variation in Italian Wolves_ A Contribution to the Study of Wolf-Dog Hybridization Patterns’, 2010.|Y-Chromosome Microsatellite Variation in Italian Wolves: A Contribution to the Study of Wolf-Dog Hybridization Patterns]]’, *Mammalian Biology* 75, no. 4, (July 2010), abstract.
[^6]: Andre E. Moura, et al., ‘[[Moura et al. ‘Unregulated hunting and Genetic Recovery from a Severe population decline_ the Cautionary Case of Bulgarian Wolves’, 2014.|Unregulated hunting and genetic recovery from a severe population decline: the cautionary case of Bulgarian wolves]]’, *Conservation Genetics* 15, no. 2, (1 November 2013), p. 413.
[^7]: Natia Kopaliani et al., ‘[[Kopaliani, et al. ‘Gene flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)’, 2014.|Gene Flow between Wolf and Shepherd Dog Populations in Georgia (Caucasus)]]’, *Journal of Heredity* 105, no. 3 (May 2014), p. 345.
[^8]: Andre E. Moura, et al., ‘[[Moura et al. ‘Unregulated hunting and Genetic Recovery from a Severe population decline_ the Cautionary Case of Bulgarian Wolves’, 2014.|Unregulated hunting and genetic recovery from a severe population decline: the cautionary case of Bulgarian wolves]]’, *Conservation Genetics* 15, no. 2, (1 November 2013), p. 412.
[^9]: Laura Iacolina, et al. ‘[[Iacolina, et al. ‘Y-Chromosome Microsatellite Variation in Italian Wolves_ A Contribution to the Study of Wolf-Dog Hybridization Patterns’, 2010.|Y-Chromosome Microsatellite Variation in Italian Wolves: A Contribution to the Study of Wolf-Dog Hybridization Patterns]]’, *Mammalian Biology* 75, no. 4, (July 2010), abstract.