![]() The team predicted that having a black coat would be associated with the ability of wolves to survive an infection with CDV. ![]() This is because the DNA region containing the gene also encodes for a protein that plays a role in defending against infections in the lungs of mammals. The team, which included Ellen Brandell, former Penn State graduate student and current wildlife research scientist at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, postulated that in addition to controlling coat color, the CPD103 gene might also play a role in protecting against CDV. Canine distemper virus (CDV), however, emerged in the 1730s, possibly evolving from a cattle virus, called rinderpest, that was brought to North America by settlers from Europe although a more recent hypothesis suggests that CDV emerged in the 1500s when the conquistadors brought measles and dogs when they invaded South America.Įither way, Hudson said, “I find it interesting that people introduced a gene for resistance from dogs to wolves at one end of North America and the infection at the other end of North America and so shaped the color of our wolf population.” “We found that wolves may signal their resistance to canine distemper virus via their coat color, which could enable individuals to identify partners that can provide them with healthier offspring.”Īccording to Hudson, the gene, called CPD103, for black coat color was likely introduced to the wolf population in the past 7,250 years when people migrated across the Bering Strait and brought dogs that carried the gene. “Variation in color is frequently used by animals to assess the fitness of potential mates,” said Peter Hudson, Willaman Professor of Biology, Penn State. Now, a team including researchers from Penn State, has found that not only does coat color reflect an animal’s immunity to canine distemper virus (CDV), but the changes in the proportion of black wolves may be due to changes in the frequency of CDV disease outbreaks, coupled with the mating behavior of the wolves and whether they select a mate with the same or a different coat color to themselves. The prevalence of black wolves versus gray wolves increases southward along the Rocky Mountain crest in North America, and the reason why has long puzzled scientists.
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