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| ARF- 3657 |
Regular Agenda Item 3. L.
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| Regular BOS Meeting |
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| Information |
| Request/Subject |
| Authorize $5,000 to assist with funding a Mexican Wolf deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Study. |
| Background Information |
As the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has been moving forward with the expansion of the Mexican Wolf recovery effort, questions among the stakeholders have risen regarding the actual species being released, and the lack of available independent science regarding the species. A collaborative group of public and private interested parties are moving forward with funding a scientific study of the Mexican Wolf DNA.
Objectives: Review the literature to identify, obtain and reanalyze existing genetic data sets (i.e. mtDNA sequences, SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism), and microsatellites) to determine: a) the extent to which Native American dogs may be under-represented in previous genetic comparisons between Mexican wolves and dogs; b) the extent to which the Mexican wolf population may contain hybrids from the Native American dog lineage in addition to the well documented European dog breeds; and, c) identify additional genetic sampling needed (if any) to quantify the above.
Wildlife Science International, Inc. has been selected to conduct the study.
The Eastern Arizona Counties Organization (ECO) has agreed to be the fiduciary agent for this study. The estimated cost for this study is $80,000. The Arizona Cattle Growers Association, the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization and private donors have each pledged $10,000. Each member county of the ECO has been asked to contribute $5,000. The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, along with local cattle associations, private donors and sportsman groups have been contacted to donate, to bring the total to $80,000. |
| Evaluation |
Significance: Recent genetic analyses on the evolution of wolves and dogs has shown that dogs were derived from domesticated wolves in Eurasia approximately 15,000 to 32,000 years ago (Savolainen et al. 2002; Ardalan et al. 2011; Brown et al. 2011; Ding et al. 2011; Pang et al. 2009; Skoglund et al. 2011; Thalmann et al. 2013). Dogs subsequently accompanied early human colonization of North America over the Bering Land bridge and have been found in numerous archaeological sites in North and South America (Colton 1970; Brothwell et al. 1979; Morey and Wiant 1992; Lupo et al. 1994; Leonard et al. 2002; Goebel et al. 2008; Vellanoweth et al. 2008; Castroviejo-Fisher et al. 2011; Aush et al. 2013). The archaeological and anthropological literature provides documentation that these Native American dogs also hybridized with wolves in the wild or in captivity (Audubon and Bachman 1851, as cited in Elder and Hayden 1977; Walker and Frison 1982), and one culture in Mexico deliberately produced wolf-dog hybrids for ceremonial purposes (Valadez et a. 2002). Therefore, any genetic comparison of Mexican wolves with dogs must include a sample of dogs derived from those brought to North America by native people rather than just including sampling from European dog breeds, otherwise the study could fail to detect the complete wolf-dog hybridization. However, the scientific literature that included comparisons with Mexican wolf genetics (i.e. Garcia-Moreno et al. 2003; Fitak 2014; Cronin et al. 2015a) make no mention of these studies and apparently utilized only European dog breeds for comparisons (or, in the case of Garcia-Moreno et al. 2003, did not state the dog breeds used). This is a significant data gap because domestic dogs brought by Native Americans would have had a longer period of contact with wolves (at least 8,500 years), and therefore, more likely to have hybridized with Mexican wolves, than dogs brought from Europe (hundreds of years).
The proposed data compilation and re-analysis (similar to that of Cronin et al. 2015a) will fill a critical data gap to allow testing of the hypothesis that the current Mexican wolf population may have had a larger hybrid origin with dogs than has been detected by previous genetic analyses. Data would include: publicly accessible databases and privately held databases (if the latter data can be obtained under a data share agreement or Freedom of Information Act Request). |
| Conclusion |
| Participating in this scientific study of the DNA of the modern Mexican Wolf will add to the existing information and fill a critical data-gap while seeking a scientific answer with regard to what degree the Mexican Wolf is a hybrid as well as attempt to determine when the hybridization occurred. |
| Recommendation |
| Staff recommends that Gila County provide $5,000 to assist with funding the Mexican Wolf DNA Study as one of the affected counties and interested parties in this effort. The Eastern Arizona Counties Organization will act as fiduciary for this project. |
| Suggested Motion |
| Information/Discussion/Action to provide $5,000 from the Gila County Natural Resources Fund to the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization to be used to assist with funding a study of the Mexican Wolf DNA. (Jacque Sanders) |
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