In 2020, further research on the Himalayan wolf indicates that it warrants species-level recognition under the Unified Species Concept, the Differential Fitness Species Concept, and the Biological Species Concept. 1 Annex 1", "Megafaunal Extinctions and the Disappearance of a Specialized Wolf Ecomorph", "Phylogeographic history of grey wolves in Europe", "Worldwide patterns of genomic variation and admixture in gray wolves", "Genomic Approaches Reveal an Endemic Subpopulation of Gray Wolves in Southern China", "Genomic Analysis Reveals Hypoxia Adaptation in the Tibetan Mastiff by Introgression of the Grey Wolf from the Tibetan Plateau", "Adaptive Changes in Hemoglobin Function in High-Altitude Tibetan Canids Were Derived via Gene Conversion and Introgression", "Interspecific Gene Flow Shaped the Evolution of the Genus, "Woolly Wolf Spotted in Nepal Is Likely a New Species", "Conservation implications for the Himalayan wolf, "Howl variation across Himalayan, North African, Indian, and Holarctic wolf clades: tracing divergence in the world's oldest wolf lineages using acoustics", "Himalayan wolf foraging ecology and the importance of wild prey", "Dietary spectrum in Himalayan wolves: comparative analysis of prey choice in conspecifics across high-elevation rangelands of Asia", "Local villagers' perceptions of wolves in Jiuzhaigou County, western China", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Himalayan_wolf&oldid=1011897208, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Himalayan wolf distribution (red dots in highlands) compared with the holarctic grey wolf (blue dots in lowlands), This page was last edited on 13 March 2021, at 13:36. The Himalayan and North African wolves have the most acoustically distinct howls and differ significantly from each other and the Holarctic wolves. Himalayan wolf discovered to be a unique wolf adapted to harsh high altitude life. [39][40][41][18] It is larger than the Indian wolf. [2], A genomic study on the wolves of China included museum specimens of wolves from southern China that were collected between 1963 and 1988. [29] Results of whole genome sequencing showed that it is the most genetically divergent wolf. These insights into the wolves' social life combined with observations on the livestock herding practices in these high-altitudes helps to identify areas of immediate conflict between herding and wolf pup rearing and propose mitigation action. In the high grasslands of Earth’s tallest mountains lives a … Welcome! Livestock is a major livelihood of many local communities in these harsh high-altitude environments, and losses of livestock has serious financial consequences for people. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. The Himalayan wolf is found in habitats above 4000 m elevation and is unique to the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. [2], The Himalayan wolf has a thick, woolly fur that is dull earthy-brown on the back and tail, and yellowish-white on the face, belly, and limbs. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. [56] [23] [2][6][5] No striking morphological differences are seen between the wolves from the Himalayas and those from Tibet. [2] The Himalayan wolf howls to a different tune than other wolves, for example. Explaining that the Himalayan wolf is a little-understood wolf lineage found in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau of Asia, the study noted that the species diverged from the Holarctic grey wolf 691,000 to 740,000 years ago. [10], Admixture with an unknown wolf-like canid, Relationship with the African golden wolf, For a full set of supporting references refer to the note (a) in the phylotree at, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, "The unique genetic adaptation of the Himalayan wolf to high-altitudes and consequences for conservation", "From the Past to the Present: Wolf Phylogeography and Demographic History Based on the Mitochondrial Control Region", "Phylogenetic evidence for the ancient Himalayan wolf: Towards a clarification of its taxonomic status based on genetic sampling from western Nepal", "Genome-wide Evidence Reveals that African and Eurasian Golden Jackals Are Distinct Species", "Wolves in Trans-Himalayas: 165 years of taxonomic confusion", "Himalayan wolf distribution and admixture based on multiple genetic markers", "Revisiting the Woolly wolf (Canis lupus chanco) phylogeny in Himalaya: Addressing taxonomy, spatial extent and distribution of an ancient lineage in Asia", "Molecular Genetic Studies on highly Endangered Species", Assessing the genetic status, distribution, prey selection and conservation issues of Himalayan wolf (, "Nomenclatural Matters: Twenty-fourth meeting of the Animals Committee Geneva, (Switzerland), 20–24 April 2009, AC24 Doc. One specimen located as far southeast as Jiangxi province shows evidence of being admixed between Tibetan-related wolves and other wolves in China. [5], In 2018, whole genome sequencing was used to compare members of the genus Canis. Seven wolves from Kashmir did not fall into this clade. It was identified as an evolutionary significant unit that warranted assignment onto the IUCN Red List for its protection. [5][2] The results of these two studies imply that the Himalayan wolf distribution range extends from the Himalayan range north across the Tibetan Plateau up to the Qinghai Lake region in China’s Qinghai Province. [8], In northern India, it occurs in the Ladakh region of eastern Kashmir[41] and in the Lahaul and Spiti region in northeastern Himachal Pradesh. University of Oxford. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader: Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks: Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. The Himalayan Wolf (also called Tibetan wolf) is found in the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau & mountain ranges of Central Asia. [23] This research, published today in the Journal of Biogeography, reveals this wolf's evolutionary uniqueness based on many different genetic markers; including a genetic adaptation to cope with the high-altitude environment, which is an adaptation that is not found in any other wolf. It probably recolonised the Tibetan Plateau. chanco. And the team discovered some astonishing aspects: the detailed genetic research revealed that the Himalayan wolf is specialised to cope with the harsh conditions at high-altitudes where low oxygen levels challenge all life! Very little is known about the Himalayan wolf, because science and conservation have overlooked these high-altitude wolves as just another grey wolf until recently. [2], The howls of the Himalayan wolf have lower frequencies, unmodulated frequencies, and are shorter in duration compared to Holarctic wolf howls. As this study was based on captive-bred zoo specimens that had descended from only two females, these samples were not considered to be representative. Geraldine Werhahn, Yanjiang Liu, Yao Meng, Chen Cheng, Zhi Lu, Luciano Atzeni, Zhixiong Deng, Shi Kun, Xinning Shao, Qi Lu, Jyoti Joshi, Adarsh Man Sherchan, Dibesh Karmacharya, Hemanta Kumari Chaudhary, Naresh Kusi, Byron Weckworth, Shannon Kachel, Tatjana Rosen, Zairbek Kubanychbekov, Khalil Karimov, Jennifer Kaden, Muhammad Ghazali, David W. Macdonald, Claudio Sillero‐Zubiri, Helen Senn. Illegal wildlife trade involves many wildlife species found in these high-altitude regions, with the animal parts often traded for high prices. [19], Canis himalayensis was proposed by Aggarwal et al. [51] Kiang, Siberian roe deer, Siberian ibex, Przewalski's horse, wild yak, argali, urial, markhor, Bactrian deer, Yarkand deer, and Tibetan red deer have also been recorded as prey species of Himalayan wolves. [18] In 2004, the Himalayan wolf population in India was estimated to consist of 350 individuals ranging across an area of about 70,000 km2 (27,000 sq mi). They prefer the smaller Tibetan gazelle over the larger white-lipped deer, and they prefer the plains-dwelling Tibetan gazelle over the cliff-dwelling bharal. [24] It weighs about 35 kg (77 lb). [43], In China, the Himalayan wolf lives on the Tibetan Plateau in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet,[44][45] and western Sichuan. The Himalayan wolf clade diverged from other canids 800,000 years ago. [4] There was evidence of hybridization with the grey wolf at Sachyat-Ertash in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan, and of introgression from either the grey wolf or the dog into the Himalayan wolf in Nepal. [46] In 2013, a wolf was photographed by a camera trap installed at an elevation around 3,500 m (11,500 ft) near the Sunderdhunga Glacier in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district. University of Oxford. "Conservation action for the Himalayan wolf is required and of global conservation interest," noted the study. Looking at genetic markers, they believe the Himalayan wolf, sometimes called the Tibetan wolf, is … [50], Himalayan wolves prefer wild over domestic prey. Himalayan wolf discovered to be a unique wolf adapted to harsh high altitude life 20 February 2020 The Himalayan Wolf - Geraldine Werhahn. By Virginia Morell Feb. 20, 2020 , 3:55 PM. [24], The Himalayan wolf population in Tibet declined over the past 25,000 years and suffered a historical population bottleneck. It has been largely overlooked by science and only in recent years is genetic evidence emerging to show that the Himalayan wolf is distinct from the Holarctic grey wolf found in Europe and North America. University of Oxford. When we started this research we thought this wolf is found only in the Himalayas, but now we know that they are found in the entire high altitude regions of Asia comprising the habitats of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. [21][22] Further fieldwork was called for. These are the two pivotal steps now required to advance the conservation of these wolves and their habitats. This is a fairly new species to have been identified. [27], Two studies of the mitochondrial genome of both modern and extinct grey wolves (Canis lupus) have been conducted, but these excluded the genetically divergent lineages of the Himalayan wolf and the Indian wolf. The most frequent prey were domestic goats (32%), followed by sheep (30%), yaks (15%), and horses (13%). Results indicate that five related haplotypes formed a clade that is basal to all other wolves. Researchers have discovered that the Himalayan wolf is a unique wolf characteristically adapted to the harsh life in the Asian high altitudes where low oxygen levels challenge all life forms. Only a small proportion of the scat material (4%) was from cliff dwelling ungulates. Predator species include snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx ... Small mammals was the most common food category found in wolf scats (41%) followed by plain dwelling ungulates (31%). The study inferred that the most recent common ancestor for all other Canis lupus specimens – modern and extinct – was 80,000 years before present. Thanks to genetic testing we now know it is very different from the closely related Indian Wolf. They were captured in the wild and were kept at the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West Bengal, and in the Kufri Zoo in Himachal Pradesh. Lead researcher, Dr Geraldine Werhahn of WildCRU, Department of Zoology, says: 'The outcome of this research is absolutely astonishing. [35], In 2011, the Indian wolf, Himalayan wolf, and African golden wolf were proposed to represent ancient wolf lineages, with the African golden wolf having colonised Africa prior to the Northern Hemisphere radiation of the Holarctic grey wolf. At the time the scarce data available was indicating a genetic difference, but we had no explanation for why these wolves are different from a grey wolf. T he Himalayan wolf forms a distinct lineage from the contemporary grey wolf and has unique genetic markers that allow it to thrive in altitudes higher than 4,000 meters, according a study published on February 19 in the Journal of Biogeography.. [42] It has closely spaced black speckles on the muzzle, below the eyes, and on the upper cheeks and ears. In addition, a social survey study with local communities helps to understand what people want and need to be able to commit to wildlife protection in these regions. [20] Fecal remains of four wolves collected in the upper Mustang region of the Annapurna Conservation Area also fell within the Himalayan wolf clade but formed a separate haplotype from those previously studied. This clade included one sample from Ladakh, nine from the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, four from Nepal, and two from Tibet. This indicates that the Ethiopian wolf's adaptation has not been inherited by descent from a common ancestor shared with the Himalayan wolf. (2020, February 21). The group recommends that this wolf lineage be known as the "Himalayan wolf" and classified as Canis lupus chanco until a genetic analysis of the holotypes is available. In Nepal, it is protected under Schedule I of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029 (1973) prohibiting hunting it. It possesses a unique paternal lineage that falls between the grey wolf and the African golden wolf. The Himalayan wolf is considered an ancient wolf as it evolved prior to the contemporary grey wolf which is found in large parts of North America and Eurasia. [7] Lack of information about its basic ecology in this landscape is an obstacle for developing a conservation plan. 21.02.2020 - Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered that the Himalayan wolf is a unique wolf characteristically adapted to the harsh life in the Asian high altitudes where low oxygen levels challenge all life forms. The Himalayan wolf lives in packs of five animals on average – a smaller group than grey wolves – and eats marmots in summer as well as woolly hares and bharal, or Himalayan blue sheep. The Himalayan Wolf is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. [10] In April 2009, Canis himalayensis was proposed as a distinct wolf species through the Nomenclature Specialist on the CITES Animals Committee. The Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) is a subspecies of grey wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to the Indian Subcontinent.It is intermediate in size between the Himalayan wolf and the Arabian wolf, and lacks the former's luxuriant winter coat due to it living in warmer conditions. It also used the scats for a dietary study, investigating what prey species the wolves and other carnivores have eaten. Werhahn describes the howls as shorter and slightly lower in pitch than the nighttime songs of gray wolves. The Himalayan wolf is a top carnivore in the Asian high-altitudes, which hold some of the last intact large wilderness areas on our planet. The mitochondrial DNA of 27 wolves from the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau was compared in 2004. The insights gained in this research by scientists at the University of Oxford's Department of Zoology further inform the development of long-term sustainable conservation plans for these wolves and their high-altitude ecosystems. It has a strong selection for RYR2, a gene that initiates cardiac excitation. These wolves have an admixed history which includes grey wolves, dogs, and a ghost population of an unknown wolf-like canid. In India, the wolf is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which prohibits hunting; a zoo needs a permission from the government to acquire a wolf. ScienceDaily. The Himalayan wolf contrasts with the wolves living at lower elevations in Inner Mongolia, Mongolia, and Xinjiang province. Local people expressed the wish to be closely involved in conservation work. Between 2005 and 2008, it was sighted in the alpine meadows above the treeline northeast of Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand. Secondly, livestock competes with wild prey for food and space and often displaces wild prey species. But the time to protect them is now!'. Questions? Supplementary food includes the small Himalayan marmot, woolly hare, and pikas. Improving livestock protection and sustainable management can mitigate depredation conflict substantially. Firstly, the wolves encounter much more livestock than wild prey. Some wolves in China and Mongolia also fall within the Himalayan wolf clade, indicating a common maternal ancestor and a wide distribution. [7], The heart of the Himalayan wolf withstands the low oxygen level at high elevations. Here, we analyse phylogenetic relationships and the geographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of the contemporary Himalayan wolf (proposed in previous studies as Canis himalayensis) found in Central … Very little is known about the Himalayan wolf, because science and conservation have overlooked these high-altitude wolves as just another grey wolf until recently. [1] This specimen was classified as a wolf subspecies Canis lupus chanco by St. George Jackson Mivart in 1880. Glaciation during the Last Glacial Maximum may have caused habitat loss, genetic isolation, and ancient inbreeding. This illegal wildlife trade needs to be drastically combated from political to ground level across the countries to the benefit of many wild species. The mtDNA of 18 captive wolves in the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zo… The protection of the Himalayan wolves is critical to preserve these ecosystems given that top carnivores are key to keep an ecosystem healthy and balanced. Published: 24 February 2020 Share this article [25][10][11][26][27][28][6][4][5][2] Its MT-ND4L gene commences with the base pairs GTG, whereas all other canids commence with ATG. HIMALAYAN WOLF DISCOVERED TO BE A UNIQUE WOLF. This formal taxonomic recognition paves the way to assign it an IUCN conservation status. ScienceDaily. Himalayan wolf discovered to be a unique wolf adapted to harsh high altitude life Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered that the Himalayan wolf is a unique wolf characteristically adapted to the harsh life in the Asian high altitudes where low oxygen levels challenge all life forms. [8], The mitochondrial DNA of 27 wolves from the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau was compared in 2004. Have any problems using the site? [3] The researchers found that the Himalayan wolf use more wild prey species than livestock when considering their availability and identified the main prey species for the Himalayan wolf. This becomes even more relevant when considering that the Asian high-altitudes hold the water resources for billions of people in south-east Asia and it is of global interest to keep those ecosystems and their wildlife populations healthy. [27][6] From 2017, two studies based on mDNA, and X-chromosome and Y-chromosome markers taken from the cell nucleus, indicate that the Himalayan wolf is genetically basal to the Holarctic grey wolf. Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered that the Himalayan wolf is a unique wolf characteristically adapted to the harsh life in the Asian high altitudes where low oxygen levels challenge all life forms. It is listed as endangered in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where a large portion of the wolf population lives outside the protected area network. your username. On this tree, the term “basal” is used to describe a lineage that forms a branch diverging nearest to the common ancestor. The African golden wolf was found to be the descendant of a genetically admixed canid of 72% grey wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry. [30] in 2007 for wolf specimens from the Indian Himalayas that differed in mitochondrial DNA from specimens collected in other parts of India. Much still remains to be revealed about their ecology, behaviour and population size. The Tibetan mastiff's ability to avoid hypoxia in high elevations due to its higher hemoglobin levels compared to low-altitude dogs, was due to prehistoric interbreeding with the wolves of Tibet. (Linnaeus 1758) found across Eurasia and North America. In evolutionary terms it is an old lineage of wolf. [36][37] An analysis of the Himalayan wolf mitochondrial genome indicates that the Himalayan wolf diverged between 740,000—691,000 years ago from the lineage that would become the Holarctic grey wolf. [2], Between 2011 and 2015, two mDNA studies found that the Himalayan wolf and Indian grey wolf were genetically closer to the African golden wolf than they were to the Holarctic grey wolf. ', 'Now we know that these wolves are different from genetics to ecology, and we have an indication of what the reason may be: the evolutionary fitness challenge posed by the low oxygen levels in the extreme high altitudes. When we started out in 2014 it was surprising how little was known about these wolves inhabiting a relatively large region of our planet. (Linnaeus 1758) found across Eurasia and North America. [8], Some authors have proposed the reclassification of this lineage as a separate species. It is about 110 cm (45 in) long and 76 cm (30 in) tall at the shoulder. ScienceDaily, 21 February 2020. The researchers observed where the wolves chose their den sites and found that in Nepal the Himalayan wolf pack sizes are on average five animals and hence smaller than usual grey wolf packs. from those found in Holarctic grey wolves. The Himalayan wolf is a distinct species of wolf, which shows unique genetic adaptation to the difficult conditions in the Asian high altitude ecosystems, a study found, reiterating that it needs to be identified as a species of special conservation concern. "Himalayan wolf discovered to be a unique wolf adapted to harsh high altitude life." The Himalayan wolf is a distinct lineage of the Holarctic grey wolf due to many genetic markers, one being uniquely adapted to high altitudes. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. With these fundamental researches now accomplished, moving forward research is planned to explore behavioural and more detailed ecological aspects around these wolves, while also piloting a conservation action plan with the local communities to develop a plan for the Himalayan wolf that shall be applicable across the Himalayan region in the long term.
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