Genomic analysis of wolves from Pakistan clarifies boundaries among three divergent wolf lineages.

This article focuses on the genetic population structure and contact zones among the three main divergent lineages of gray wolf (Canis lupus)—Holarctic, Tibetan (Himalayan), and Indian—in Pakistan and surrounding regions. Through mitochondrial and genome-wide sequencing of wolves from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, the study identifies contact zones where these lineages meet, particularly between the Indian and Holarctic lineages across northern and western Pakistan, and between Tibetan and Holarctic lineages in the Ladakh-Karakoram region. The findings reveal that wolves in Pakistan are admixed, with lowland populations primarily representing the endangered Indian lineage, highlighting the conservation importance of these populations in Sindh and Southern Punjab. The study underscores the need for taxonomic revision and targeted conservation efforts to protect these genetically distinct and threatened wolf populations.