Evolution, species, and subspecies

Taxonomic Classification of Wolves

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Chordata (Animals with notochords; A flexible structure that forms the main support)
Subphylum: Vertebrata (Animals with backbones)
Class: Mammalia (Chordates that produce milk via mammary glands)
Subclass: Eutheria (Placental Mammals: Mammals with a membranous organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy which lines the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus)
Order: Carnivora (Meat eaters)
Suborder: Caniforma (Canine-like carnivores)
Family: Canidae (See below)
Genus: Canis (Coyotes, dingos, domestic dogs, jackals, and Wolves)
Species: lupus (Gray Wolves), rufus (Red Wolves)


Lupine Evolution

Modern day Wolves have remained relatively unchanged over the last one to two million years.

About 120 million years ago, the ancestors of Wolves and the ancestors of ungulates (hoofed mammals) diverged on the evolutionary tree. Both evolved from forest dwelling ancestors that moved out into the open plains, becoming swifter and more intelligent thereby. Evolving together, the ancestors of Wolves, known as creodonts, adapted to capturing and feeding upon the ancestors of ungulates. To counter this, early hoofed animals adapted to predation by developing better senses to detect and escape predators.

Experts believe that creodonts developed in North America and gradually dispersed. Between fifty and sixty million years ago, certain mammals developed flesh tearing teeth called carnassials. Over the next ten million years, a dog-like creature called Miacis evolved. Miacis is a member of the Miacidae family, from which several meat eating species evolved, including dogs, cats, bears, weasels, raccoons, civets, and hyenas.


Thirty to forty million years ago, Miacis diverged into the dog and bear families. Following the dog line, Crynodictis evolved, having the same number of teeth as the modern day Wolf. The animal was much smaller than the Wolf, and somewhat weasel-like with moderate length legs. Over the next fifteen million years the raccoon family branched from this group. Crynodictis begot Cryodesmus, which begot Tomarctus, which begot Canidae, the modern day dog family. Through evolution, these animals developed longer and longer legs, more compact paws, and shorter tails. From Tomarctus the Wolf and fox diverged and evolved separately. The Wolves grew in size until they reached their present day size. One Wolf species became very large, known as the Dire Wolf; these Wolves went extinct a few thousand years ago.

The Lupine Species and Subspecies

In 1992 certain experts decided to reclassify Wolf subspecies into seven species. This new system of classification has yet to catch on. These 'new' species were decided as follows:

-Canis arctos: The Arctic islands and Greenland species: arctos, bernardi and orion.
-Canis baileyi: The Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States species: baileyi, mogollonensis,and monstrabilis.
-Canis dingo: the Austrailian wild dog.
-Canis familiaris: the domestic canine.
-Canis lycaon: The southeastern Canadian and northeastern United States species: lycaon (except for those in Minnesota).
-Canis nubilus: The SE Alaskan, central and northeastern Canadian and western United States species: beothucus, crassodon, fuscus, hudsonicus, irremotus, labradorius, ligoni, lycaon (those in Minnesota), manningi, nubilus and youngi.
-Canis occidentalis: The Alaskan and western Canadian species: alces, columbianus, griseoalbus, mackenzii, occidentalis, pambasileus and tundrarum.

There seems to be some confusion that has led to some people referring to Canis lupus and Canus lupus interchangeably. This is my thoughts about why this might be. Canis means dog in Latin, canus means gray, and lupus means Wolf. Some confusion in these Latin words has likely led Canis lupus and Canus lupus as both referring to the Gray Wolf species

There are 35 subspecies of canis lupus described here (44 named), 13 of which are probably gone forever.

All thanks goes to Ylva, she had the idea. =)