An observation of incest avoidance in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

L. David Mech; Rick McIntyre

doi:10.22621/cfn.v137i3.2971

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An observation of incest avoidance in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

L. David Mech·Rick McIntyre

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Abstract

Free-ranging Gray Wolf ( Canis lupus ) tends to avoid inbreeding, but there is no information about how they manage this avoidance. Our observation of a female wolf in Yellowstone National Park actively rebuffing her father’s sexual advances but then copulating with a distantly related male is the first and only report of one means by which wolf pack members avoid inbreeding.

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Canadian Field-Naturalist Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 44.14044322113034° to 44.995718307306134° latitude; -111.10138287677188° to -110.17319166723465° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeX RIS

L. David Mech, Rick McIntyre. 2024-05-31. An observation of incest avoidance in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v137i3.2971

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