Coywolf

A wild canid with ancestry from coyotes and wolves, especially common in eastern North America. Its mixed ancestry reflects historical interbreeding among coyotes, wolves, and sometimes domestic dogs.

Eastern wolf: A wolf population of eastern North America whose taxonomic status and relationship to gray wolves remain debated. Eastern wolf ancestry is often implicated in the hybrid origins of eastern coywolves.
Eastern coyote: A coyote population in eastern North America that carries varying wolf and sometimes dog ancestry. This population is often called coywolf, though the names do not denote separate species.
Canid genome: The complete genetic material of a member of the dog family. Genome-wide analysis reveals the distinct proportions and sources of coywolf ancestry.
Wildlife genetics: The study of genetic variation in wild animal populations. Genetic methods identify ancestry that cannot be reliably inferred from appearance.
Species: A taxonomic unit commonly defined as a group of organisms sharing a lineage and reproductive relationships. Coywolf is not generally recognized as a distinct biological species.
Canidae: The biological family of dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, and related carnivorous mammals. Coywolves belong to this family alongside their parental species.
Wolf extirpation in eastern North America: The historical disappearance of wolves from much of eastern North America through persecution and habitat change. Wolf declines brought coyotes into landscapes where interbreeding could occur.
Backcrossing: Mating of a hybrid with an individual from one of its ancestral populations. Repeated backcrossing spreads mixed ancestry without producing one uniform hybrid type.
Camera trap: A remotely triggered camera used to photograph wildlife without an observer present. Camera traps document coywolf activity and distribution in human-inhabited areas.
Coydog: A hybrid produced by mating between a coyote and a domestic dog. Coydog usually denotes a more specific coyote–dog cross than the eastern coywolf label.

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