I quite like the suggestion that the reason taxonomists have trouble unpicking lupus-latrans-rufus is because it had always been assumed lupus was a true species, and that maybe lycaon should be split and that might make sense of the tree. With this kind of long-running tricky problem, I often think it means we've all made an incorrect assumption somewhere.
Indeed, I am in full support of lycaon being split from lupus - whether this would render it conspecific with rufus with the two representing subspecies would, of course, require further investigation.
Indeed, I am in full support of lycaon being split from lupus - whether this would render it conspecific with rufus with the two representing subspecies would, of course, require further investigation.
I agree. Canis lupus looks increasingly like a wastebasket taxon to me. In Eastern North America, the Himalayas and the Middle East I rather suspect that good species are waiting to be delineated.
