Researchers prove that the mysterious animal, previously called the 'Egyptian Jackal' and sometimes mistaken for Golden Jackal, was not a sub species of the Jackal (coyotes), but the gray wolf (gray wolf).
The team of researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) Oxford University and Addis Ababa University concluded that the gray wolf appeared in Africa about three million years ago and spread to various parts in the north of the Equator.
Wolves new species is a relative of the gray wolf Holarctic, the Indian wolf, and wolves Himalayas.
"The discovery of wolf species in Africa is not only important news, but also raises major questions in the biological world," said David Macdonald, Director of WildCRU, as quoted by the ScienceDaily, February 4, 2011.
Macdonald said, how can Africa develop and wolves coexist with coyotes and wolves are very rare and Ethiopia is a very different species, require further study.
"These findings contribute to our understanding of the biogeography of fauna Afroalpine, a set of species with African and Eurasian ancestor that evolved in a relatively isolated area in the highlands of Africa," says Claudio Sillero, researchers from WildCRU and chairman of the Canid Specialist Group, IUCN.
Wolves Ethiopia itself is a new immigrant in Africa. They are separate from the gray wolf groups ahead of the new African wolf found this.
On that occasion, the research team also found specimens that are very similar genetically to the new wolf in the highlands of Ethiopia, about 2,500 miles from Egypt.The findings indicate that new species are not only living in the country.
Apparently, the word Sillero, Egyptian name of the Jackal is very urgent to be changed."Dan's unique status as the only gray wolves in Africa to make his name should be changed to African wolf," he said.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar