Canine Interbreeding - (Mar/07/2013 )

I would like to know if a coyote (Canis latrans) can breed with a wolf or domestic dog (Canis lupus ) and produce fertile offspring. I have searched on the Internet, but have not found anything addressing this topic specifically.

as far as I know they can and produce hybrids called Coydogs, which are fertile

hobglobin on Thu Mar 7 20:51:43 2013 said:

Well there are many definitions of species, and that's one of several...anyway for this definition it's the question if coyotes and dogs do produce fertile offspring in natural conditions and not if humans bring them together or even do a test-tube fertilisation. In nature there are sufficient other barriers that can lead to the two species as we understand it, such as geographical barriers, different behaviour (mating barrier), different time of estrus (physiological barrier) etc. (not sure if and then which barrier is working for canines)
This can then be even more complicated when humans introduce a new (sub-)species in the area of the other species and then they can interbreed (it is estimated that the domestic dog's origin is East Asia as far as I know, and therefore new for Americas). Anyway this shows the obstacles and limitations of species definitions .

hobglobin on Wed Mar 13 16:57:48 2013 said:

Well there are many definitions of species, and that's one of several...anyway for this definition it's the question if coyotes and dogs do produce fertile offspring in natural conditions and not if humans bring them together or even do a test-tube fertilisation. In nature there are sufficient other barriers that can lead to the two species as we understand it, such as geographical barriers, different behaviour (mating barrier), different time of estrus (physiological barrier) etc. (not sure if and then which barrier is working for canines)
This can then be even more complicated when humans introduce a new (sub-)species in the area of the other species and then they can interbreed (it is estimated that the domestic dog's origin is East Asia as far as I know, and therefore new for Americas). Anyway this shows the obstacles and limitations of species definitions .