Читать книгу Fundamentals of Conservation Biology - Malcolm L. Hunter Jr. - Страница 115

Genetics is critical for measurement of hybridization between species. In many countries, hybrids are not protected by law. The ongoing controversy over listing the red wolf as an endangered “species” versus dropping protection because it is merely a hybrid of gray wolves and coyotes is one that pivots on new and ever more definitive genetic analyses published every few years (see Cahill et al. 2016). Hybridization is also a real threat to many rare species, and genetic methods enable us to detect the extent of the problem. Very occasionally hybrids can be used to restore depleted species (Edwards et al. 2013).