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Hey guys! How many of you remember back in 2011 when this article was making headlines? It was such an amazing event -- just think about it -- a Gray wolf subspecies was living in Africa right under our noses! According to this article, the Golden jackal subspecies Canis aureus lupaster was mtDNA tested and "proven" to be a Gray wolf subspecies through 100% bootstrap support (which, genetically speaking, roughly means rebuilding the phylogenetic tree through many reiterations and getting the same result).
Today, this wonderful article has been trending all over the place! But what does it mean? Well, just by reading the headline or the abstract I'm sure you can guess that it definitely relates to the 2011 article. Indeed, it does. This article is not so much a rebuttal or refutation as it is clarifying the fact that no, Canis "lupus" lupaster is not a subspecies of gray wolf, but it is indeed its own species -- Canis anthus. The designated name for this animal that these researchers suggest using is, as you've guessed from the articles floating about, African golden wolf. Dark-Hyena and I have vowed to not use this name as it promotes the misnomer "wolf." The native name for this animal is thoa.
After all that is said and done, what we must remember is this: coyotes are still the closest living relatives to wolves. Not Ethiopian wolves. Not African golden wolves. Coyotes.
Personally, I think "wolf" is just a name environmentalists slap onto endangered canids just to give them good PR, regardless of whether or not they are closely related to grey wolves. -DarkHyena
Today, this wonderful article has been trending all over the place! But what does it mean? Well, just by reading the headline or the abstract I'm sure you can guess that it definitely relates to the 2011 article. Indeed, it does. This article is not so much a rebuttal or refutation as it is clarifying the fact that no, Canis "lupus" lupaster is not a subspecies of gray wolf, but it is indeed its own species -- Canis anthus. The designated name for this animal that these researchers suggest using is, as you've guessed from the articles floating about, African golden wolf. Dark-Hyena and I have vowed to not use this name as it promotes the misnomer "wolf." The native name for this animal is thoa.
After all that is said and done, what we must remember is this: coyotes are still the closest living relatives to wolves. Not Ethiopian wolves. Not African golden wolves. Coyotes.
Personally, I think "wolf" is just a name environmentalists slap onto endangered canids just to give them good PR, regardless of whether or not they are closely related to grey wolves. -DarkHyena
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Animal Spotlight: Cassia Crossbill
No deviations currently exist of this animal!
About
Scientific name: Loxia sinesciuris
Common names: Cassia Crossbill, South Hills Crossbill
Conservation status: Data deficient
Geographic range: South Hills and Albion Mountains of southern Idaho
Fun facts
:bulletgreen: It is virtually impossible to distinguish from the Red Crossbill by sight alone.
:bulletblack: These birds are reproductively isolated with no geographic barrier, supporting speciation.
:bulletgreen: This species may already be facing extinction due to climate change threatening Lodgepole pine (food supply).
Loxia sinesciuris on eBird | Loxia sinesciuris on Wikipedia | Loxia
Animal Spotlight: Tricolored Bumblebee
:thumb167348366: :thumb251408719: :thumb540353411:
About
Scientific name: Bombus ternarius
Common names: Orange-Belted Bumblebee, Tricolored Bumblebee
Conservation status: Least Concern
Geographic range:
Fun facts
:bulletgreen: Ternarius refers to the number 3 - in this case, the bee's 3 colors (red, yellow, black).
:bulletblack: Nests are made in the ground and are lined with honeypots.
:bulletgreen: Before the introduction of the Honey Bee in North America, this species was the only bee producing honey.
Tricolored Bumblebee on Wikipedia | Tricolored Bumblebee on IUCN Red List | Tricolored Bumblebee on Bugguide.net
The Tricolored Bumbleb
Animal Spotlight: Loggerhead Sea Turtle
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About
Scientific name: Caretta caretta
Common names: Loggerhead turtle, Loggerhead
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Geographic range:
Fun Facts
:bulletgreen: The loggerhead sea turtle appears on the $1000 Colombian peso coin.
:bulletblack: After a female lays a clutch of four eggs, she will be quiescent for two to three years.
:bulletgreen: Molecular genetics confirm natural hybridization of loggerheads with Kemp's ridley sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, and green sea turtles.
:bulletblack: Evidence is lacking, but it has been suggested that modern sea turtles descended from a LCA during the Cretaceous period - roughly 40 mi
Animal Spotlight: Blue Orchard Bee
:thumb168160138:
About
Scientific name: Osmia lignaria
Common names: Blue orchard bee, Orchard mason bee
Conservation status: Least Concern
Geographic range: One of 4,000 native bee species in North America. Two subspecies are recognized: O. l. propinqua (western) and O. l. lignaria (eastern).
Fun Facts
:bulletgreen: Brood cells towards the rear of the nest will develop into females, while the ones closer to the entrance will become males.
:bulletblack: This bee will not attack to defend itself - the stinger is actually an egg guide.
:bulletgreen: Mason bees do not produce honey.
:bulletblack: Because of its native status, this is a popular
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I'm quite sure Coyotes aren't actually a relative of wolves, just some sort of outbred aberration. They're vicious and cowardly and scavenging and surely no part of the proud wolf family tree. (I hear they're 'invading' (New York Post) 'taking over New York’s swanky neighborhoods' as part of the 'great human vs. animal war')