The eastern coyote is a wild North American canine hybrid with both coyote and wolf parentage. The hybridization likely first occurred in the Great Lakes region, as western coyotes moved east. It was first noticed during the early 1930s to the late 1940s, and likely originated in the aftermath of the extirpation of the gray wolf and eastern wolf in southeastern Ontario, Labrador and Quebec, thus allowing coyotes to colonize the former wolf ranges, and mix with the remnant wolf populations.[1][2] This hybrid is smaller than the eastern wolf and holds smaller territories, but is larger and holds more extensive home ranges than the typical western coyote.[1]
- ^ a b Way, J.G.; Rutledge, L.; Wheeldon, T.; White, B.N. (2010). "Genetic characterization of Eastern "Coyotes" in eastern Massachusetts" (PDF). Northeastern Naturalist. 17 (2): 189–204. doi:10.1656/045.017.0202. S2CID 135542.
- ^ Wilson, Paul J.; Grewal, Sonya K.; Mallory, Frank F.; White, Bradley N. (June 12, 2009). "Genetic Characterization of Hybrid Wolves across Ontario" (PDF). Journal of Heredity. 100: 580–589. doi:10.1093/jhered/esp034.