Caucasus Mountains wolfs

In more recent times, some male Italian wolves originated from dog ancestry, which indicates female wolves will breed with male dogs in the wil

d.[29] In the Caucasus Mountains, ten percent of dogs including livestock guardian dogs, are first generation hybrids.[30] Although mating betwee

n golden jackals and wolves has never been observed, evidence of jackal-wolf hybridization was discovered through mitochondrial DNA analysis of jackals living in the Caucasus Mountains[30] and in Bulgaria.[31]

In 2021, a genetic study found that the dog’s similarity to the extant gray wolf was the result of substantial dog-into-wolf gene flow, with

almost negligible wolf-into-dog gene flow since the dog’s domestication. Some gray wolves were related to all ancient and modern dogs.[32]