We all know that today’s dogs have descended from wolves.  Now, it seems that some of today’s wolves have inherited traits from dogs.  In North America, unlike other continents, the gray wolf has a dark coat.  Researchers have found that the genetic mutation that produces dark coats began first in dogs and then spread to wolves when the species mated.

Sometime in  the last 10,000 to 15,000 years, dogs introduced the mutation into wolves.  This was about the time dogs accompanied the first humans to cross the frozen Bering Strait.  Gregory S. Barsh of Stanford University headed up the study.  Barsh says that this shows that domestic animals can serve as a genetic reservoir.  This reservoir can benefit the natural populations from which they were derived.

Most scientists believe that thousands of years ago, wolves probably ate the scraps left by man.  After a while, man brought wolf cubs into the family to raise.  Humans capitalized on the wolf’s ability to hunt and to guard the campsite.  Wolves gradually change size, shape and color to become dogs.  This was due to human preferences for wolves of certain behavioral and physical characteristics, as well as genetic mutation.

Dogs have an almost identical DNA makeup with wolves.  It has long been known that dogs inherited traits from wolves.  According to a recent study, North American wolves have inherited black coats from dogs.  Further study should be made to determine if other traits are being passed back and forth between the two species.