Kl. Pilgrim et al., TESTING FOR WOLF-COYOTE HYBRIDIZATION IN THE ROCKY-MOUNTAINS USING MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA, The Journal of wildlife management, 62(2), 1998, pp. 683-689
Hybridization between gray wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (Canis lat
rans) has been documented in the Great Lakes region of the United Stat
es and Canada but has not been extensively studied in the Rocky Mounta
in region. We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to evaluate potential gra
y wolf-coyote hybridization in wolf populations in the western United
States, Alberta, and British Columbia, including wolves reintroduced i
nto Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and central Idaho. A restriction s
ite and a length difference in the control region (D-loop) of mtDNA wa
s used to differentiate wolf and coyote haplotypes. All 90 wolves test
ed had wolf haplotypes. We concluded that the wolf populations in the
Rocky Mountain region have not hybridized with coyotes as they have in
the Great Lakes region. This method could be used to test other wolf
populations for wolf-coyote hybridization and monitor the translocated
YNP and Idaho populations in the future.