Genetic considerations on wolf conservation in Italy

Quantitative genetic theories are being applied to the wolf population in Italy to work out future conservation options. Inbreeding depression. random phenotype changes, decrease of genetic variance may affect powerfully a population of very low numbers such as that of the Italian wolf; hybridization with dogs might have helped the wolf because of the small numbers to overcome some of these problems at the expense of genetic “purity”. From the present scanty data, three schemes for the future of the wolf are presented and their pessimistic predictions discussed while stressing the urgent need of a research and monitoring program for the genetic structure of the population.