Molecules and beyond: assessing the distinctness of the Great Lakes wolf.

The dog family, Canidae, is a widely distributed group of species that have evolved and radiated relatively recently into 16 genera and 36 recognized species (Nowak 1999). Specific taxonomic designations for some canid taxa can be unclear due to frequent interspecific hybridization among species in both historical and contemporary times, and our imperfect molecular genetic approaches for determining among a series of hypotheses regarding hybridization and evolution. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Koblmüller et al. tackle the difficult topic of Great Lakes wolf taxonomy and present data that suggest this taxon is currently genetically distinct despite a long history of human persecution and hybridization with related taxa.