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Indian Dhole Mitochondrial Genomes Were Distinct From the Chinese Dhole Sequence

Wild dhole standing in grass in India
Research · Genetics & genomics

A 2026 study reported the first complete mitochondrial genome structures for the Indian dhole (Cuon alpinus) and Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). The researchers sequenced blood samples from two dholes and one wolf held at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore, India, and compared the resulting genomes with previously published canid sequences.

The dhole mitochondrial genome was 16,754 base pairs long and contained the standard vertebrate complement of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and a control region. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited mainly through the maternal line in mammals, so these genomes trace maternal evolutionary history rather than representing the full nuclear genome. The two Indian dhole sequences were identical to each other.

Indian dholes formed a distinct mitochondrial group

Genetic family-tree analyses placed the two Indian dholes together in a well-supported mitochondrial group that was clearly separated from the Chinese dhole sequence included in the analysis. This shows divergence between the sampled maternal lineages, but the small captive sample cannot establish genome-wide differentiation between Indian and Chinese dhole populations. The Indian wolf likewise formed a distinct mitochondrial group within the Canis lupus complex and was separated from the Himalayan wolf.

The genomes provide a regional reference for future studies

The authors describe the new mitochondrial genomes as region-specific genomic resources for future studies of population structure, phylogeography — how genetic lineages are distributed geographically — and conservation genetics. They also note that the two zoo dholes may represent the same lineage, so the identical sequences should not be taken as a broad measure of genetic diversity in Indian dholes.

Sources and image credit

  1. Suresh, A., Bhavana, K., & Nagarajan, M. (2026). Exploring the mitochondrial genomes of the Indian dhole and wolf: a phylogenetic and conservation perspective. Scientific Reports, 16, 16961. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-47957-xPrimary peer-reviewed research article published 10 April 2026. Reports the first complete mitochondrial genome structures for the Indian dhole and Indian wolf; the two Indian dhole sequences were identical and clustered separately from the Chinese dhole sequence used in the phylogenetic analysis.

Image: David V. Raju / Wikimedia Commons. Wild dhole in India, 5 August 2018. Representative species photograph, not one of the captive study animals. Cropped to 16:9. CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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