Wolf (Canis lupus)

[Styx38]

Wolf genetics in the Caucasus Mountains.

"Caucasian wolves share common haplotypes with wolves from both Eastern Europe and the Middle East, consistent with their location between these two geographic regions. Few shared haplotypes between Europe and Asia were identified previously (3 of 47, 6%; [21]). This could have resulted from the large spatial gap between the sampled areas in Europe and Asia, and the data from the Caucasian wolves are partially filling this gap. High percentage of shared haplotypes between the Caucasus and the neighbouring regions suggests that wolf populations from these areas are (or used to be) connected by a considerable level of gene flow.

The microsatellite data also suggest ongoing or recent gene flow between the Caucasian and Eastern European wolf populations. Considerable level of admixture between Caucasian and Bulgarian wolves was detected, suggesting that they are connected by gene flow through intermediary populations (which is possible because of relatively continuous wolf range in the areas between the Caucasus and the Balkans).

We found no evidence for genetic distinctiveness of the Caucasian wolves that would justify their classification as a distinct subspecies C. l. cubanensis, which was proposed based on morphological distinctiveness." 

source: Pilot, Małgorzata et al. “Genetic variability of the grey wolf Canis lupus in the Caucasus in comparison with Europe and the Middle East: distinct or intermediary population?.” PloS one vol. 9,4 e93828. 8 Apr. 2014,

So it seems that Wolves in the Caucasus Mountains share some DNA with European and Asian Wolves, but have more in common with Bulgarian Wolves due to gene flow within a contiguous range.

So the Wolves are more or less the Eurasian subspecies. Reply