Genome Sequencing of a Gray Wolf from Peninsular India Provides New Insights into the Evolution and Hybridization of Gray Wolves
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is among the few large carnivores that survived the Late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. Thanks to their complex history of admixture and extensive geographic range, the number of gray wolf subspecies and their phylogenetic relationships remain poorly understood. Here, we perform whole-genome sequencing of a gray wolf collected from peninsular India that was phenotypically distinct from gray wolves outside India. Genomic analyses reveal that the Indian gray wolf is an evolutionarily distinct lineage that diverged from other extant gray wolf lineages ∼110 thousand years ago. Demographic analyses suggest that the Indian wolf population declined continuously decline since separating from other gray wolves and, today, has exceptionally low genetic diversity. We also find evidence for pervasive and mosaic gene flow between the Indian wolf and African canids including African wolf, Ethiopian wolf, and African wild dog despite their current geographical separation. Our results support the hypothesis that the Indian subcontinent was a Pleistocene refugium and center of diversification and further highlight the complex history of gene flow that characterized the evolution of gray wolves.
Source: Genome Biology and Evolution
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac012
Institutions: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Zoological Survey of India, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Wildlife Institute of India, Jilin University, Yunnan Agricultural University, Smithsonian Institution, George Mason University, ITMO University, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,714
OpenAlex ID: W4210794460