Khaberni - Greek scientists have discovered a rare case of hybridization between wolves and dogs, after genetic tests confirmed the existence of an animal with shared characteristics of both species in a region close to the city of Thessaloniki in the north of the country.
The organization "Callisto," concerned with the protection of predatory animals and endangered species, announced that this discovery is the first of its kind to be scientifically documented in Greece.
Biologist Emilia Eukimidou, speaking at a conference held in Athens, stated that genetic analysis proved the animal is a hybrid, composed of 45% wolf and 55% dog, noting that it was identified during tests that included fifty samples from wolves collected across mainland Greece.
She mentioned that such hybrids had previously been identified based solely on external appearance in Europe, Central Asia, and the United States, but recent genetic studies have proven them to be less common than previously believed.
This discovery comes at a time when wolf populations in Greece have seen a significant increase over the last decades, thanks to the hunting ban imposed in 1983 under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of Wildlife.
According to a six-year study conducted by "Callisto," the number of wolves currently stands at about 2075, including three stable groups in the Parnitha mountain range near the capital, Athens.
This discovery also re-emphasizes the historical relationship between wolves and dogs; scientific theories suggest that domestic dogs emerged from close relatives of the gray wolf between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago.
While the prevalent hypothesis linked their domestication to the search for food remains near human settlements, newer theories suggest that hunters and gatherers among humans may have bred wolf cubs, gradually leading to what we know today as domestic dogs.
