The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Alpine wolves show scant signs of cross-breeding with dogs

wolf in forest
Pure-breed wolves are largely protected; less so their mongrel cross-breed cousins. Keystone

Scientists have shown that just a small portion of wolves in the Swiss Alps show traces of cross-breeding with their canine cousins – findings that could have implications for conservation policy.

Basing their research on 1,645 samples of saliva, faeces and hair gathered from 115 wolves in the Alps between 1998 and 2017, the University of Lausanne scientists found that less than 2% of the animals had DNA that showed signs of hybridization.

Of the two wolves that were estimated to be cross-breeds, the researchers said they were almost certainly the outcome of a wolf and dog mating at least two generations ago, if not more.

“Our results prove that dog-wolf cross-breeding is in reality very limited, even anecdotal, and that the genetic integrity of wild wolf populations living in the Alps remains intact,” said Luca Fumagalli, a researcher working on the project.

+ The exponential growth of wolf populations in the Swiss Alps

The findings could have implications for efforts to control the existence of wolves in the Alps, since while pure wolves are a protected species, the legality of killing cross-breeds is vaguer, Fumagelli added.

“In general, national laws recommend their culling, in order to preserve the integrity of the pure wild populations. But the real question should be rather how to control the presence of stray dogs that transfer their genes to wolves,” he said.

Wolves and dogs are close cousins: both are part of the canis lupus species and share common ancestors. Indeed, dogs are simply wild wolves domesticated 10,000-30,000 years ago; since then, both have intermingled and often reproduced.


More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Higher direct payments do not stop scrub encroachment on alpine pastures

More

Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures

This content was published on The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.

Read more: Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey

More

Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey

This content was published on In a survey, the population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Respondents were less happy with politics and their personal finances, according to the online comparison service Moneyland.

Read more: Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey
Millionaires prioritise well-being over material possessions

More

High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions

This content was published on The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.

Read more: High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
Spanish flu: virus genome deciphered a century later

More

Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus

This content was published on Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.

Read more: Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR