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Did I mention my dog is a Dingo?
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 418015" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>The Aussie dingo is more closely related to the Asian wolf than the domestic dog, but will still readily interbreed with the domestic dog. With speciation the goalposts keep moving. In my student days we were told that the definition of "species" was based on how well two different animals could interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Then in my final; years at uni, this was seen to be more complex because there are varying degrees of fertility in the offspring and where is the dividing line? But with dingoes, they readily interbreed. However, they diverged from domestic dogs for tens of thousands of years. So while their wilder behaviour is more wolf-like, it is still different to the wolves you are more familiar with.</p><p></p><p>There are other breeds of dog which have lived in isolation from domestic dogs for long times - Cape Hunting Dogs, for example.</p><p></p><p>When I was at uni, dingoes were classified as Canis familiaris. I was interested to read the Wikipedia reference which says they're currently described as Canis familiaris dingo (meaning, dingo sub-species) but this looks like being changed to Canis lupus dingo.</p><p></p><p>Species definitions have always been rather subjective, based on various features observed at a macro and micro level, physiologically and behaviourally. Embryology often comes into it too - it gives clues that can be hidden in the adult individual. But I think DNA is going to need to be considered in determining species. But when they do, it will really challenge a lot of people - we might find chimpanzees being included in the genus Homo, for example! A lot of people really don't want to go down that road!</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 418015, member: 1991"] The Aussie dingo is more closely related to the Asian wolf than the domestic dog, but will still readily interbreed with the domestic dog. With speciation the goalposts keep moving. In my student days we were told that the definition of "species" was based on how well two different animals could interbreed to produce fertile offspring. Then in my final; years at uni, this was seen to be more complex because there are varying degrees of fertility in the offspring and where is the dividing line? But with dingoes, they readily interbreed. However, they diverged from domestic dogs for tens of thousands of years. So while their wilder behaviour is more wolf-like, it is still different to the wolves you are more familiar with. There are other breeds of dog which have lived in isolation from domestic dogs for long times - Cape Hunting Dogs, for example. When I was at uni, dingoes were classified as Canis familiaris. I was interested to read the Wikipedia reference which says they're currently described as Canis familiaris dingo (meaning, dingo sub-species) but this looks like being changed to Canis lupus dingo. Species definitions have always been rather subjective, based on various features observed at a macro and micro level, physiologically and behaviourally. Embryology often comes into it too - it gives clues that can be hidden in the adult individual. But I think DNA is going to need to be considered in determining species. But when they do, it will really challenge a lot of people - we might find chimpanzees being included in the genus Homo, for example! A lot of people really don't want to go down that road! Marg [/QUOTE]
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Did I mention my dog is a Dingo?
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