| MadSci Network: Zoology |
The scientific name for all domestic dogs is canis familiaris, or canis lupus familiaris: http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/03724.html http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/canis/c._lupus_familiaris$narrative.html The scientific name for the grey or timber wolf is canis lupus, and it can be argued that canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog, is the same species as grey or timber wolf, since wolves and dogs can mate and have viable offspring (wolf-dog hybrids). This argument has been used in legal rulings regarding drug vaccines (read the paragraph entitled "Considerations"), and in studies of the genetic diversity of dogs. It is remarkable that one species can have so many very different forms...it is hard to consider the dachshund to be the exact same species as the golden retriever, but that is the situation. The golden retriever is a breed of canis familiaris, or dog. Here is a webring with information about Golden Retrievers, and a dog owner's guide: Golden Retriever Webring Golden Retriever dog-owner's guide
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