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Published Online February 5, 2009
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1165448

Reports

Submitted on September 3, 2008
Accepted on January 15, 2009

Molecular and Evolutionary History of Melanism in North American Gray Wolves

Tovi M. Anderson 1, Bridgett M. vonHoldt 2, Sophie I. Candille 1, Marco Musiani 3, Claudia Greco 4, Daniel R. Stahler 5, Douglas W. Smith 6, Badri Padhukasahasram 7, Ettore Randi 4, Jennifer A. Leonard 8, Carlos D. Bustamante 7, Elaine A. Ostrander 9, Hua Tang 1, Robert K. Wayne 2, Gregory S. Barsh 1*

1 Departments of Genetics and Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 91302, USA.
3 Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Calgary AB, T2N1N4, Canada.
4 Istituto Nazionale per la Fauna Selvatica (INFS), 40064 Ozzano Emilia (BO), Italy.
5 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 91302, USA.; Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA.
6 Yellowstone Center for Resources, National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA.
7 Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
8 Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
9 National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Gregory S. Barsh , E-mail: gbarsh{at}stanford.edu

Morphologic diversity within closely related species is an essential aspect of evolution and adaptation. Mutations in the Melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) gene contribute to pigmentary diversity in natural populations of fish, birds, and many mammals. However, melanism in the gray wolf, Canis lupus, is caused by a different melanocortin pathway component, the K locus, that encodes a beta-defensin protein which acts as an alternative ligand for the Mc1r. We show that the melanistic K locus mutation in North American wolves derives from past hybridization with domestic dogs, has risen to high frequency in forested habitats, and exhibits a molecular signature of positive selection. The same mutation also causes melanism in the coyote, Canis latrans, and Italian gray wolves, and hence our results demonstrate how traits selected in domesticated species can influence the morphologic diversity of their wild relatives.


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)