Japanese Wolf Research Articles

Human and Ecological Dimensions of Conservation Controversy

Human and Ecological Dimensions of Conservation Controversy

Osteological Examination and Image Analysis of a Cranium of the Japanese Wolf Found at Private House in Yamanashi Prefecture

Osteological Examination and Image Analysis of a Cranium of the Japanese Wolf Found at Private House in Yamanashi Prefecture

Successful Molecular Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence Determination of Partial Amelogenin (AMELX) Exon DNA Fragment Recovered from a Mounted Taxidermic Pelt Specimen Tentatively Identified as an Extinct Wolf Species, Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, the Japanese Wolf and Stocked at School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo

The Japanese wolf, Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, which putatively became extinct decades ago, remains a taxonomical or phylogenetic enigma. In Japan, 3 mounted taxidermic pelt specimens believed to represent C. lupus hodophilax have been stocked at the University of Tokyo, the National Science Museum and Wakayama University, respectively. Using an improved method developed by our group for the extraction and the PCR amplification of ancient DNA from preserved mammalian pelts, a 351-nucleotide partial genomic DNA stretch of the X-linked gene coding for amelogenin (AMELX) was successfully cloned from a skin specimen derived from the mounted female taxidermic pelt specimen of the University of Tokyo, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. Two allelic lupine AMELX sequences, i. e., the J-type (accession no. AB080688, submitted to DDBJ on 1/Mar./2002) and the R-type (accession no. AB080689, submitted to DDBJ on 1/Mar./2002) were identified. Both the J-type and the R-type alleles differed considerably at the nucleotide as well as the amino acid level from the corresponding AMELX region shared by the dog and the Mongolian wolf. Although the presently discovered lupine variants of the AMELX partial sequence are of great interest from the point of view of taxonomical identity of the Japanese wolf, our preliminary results (unpublished) strongly indicate that polymorphism in the nucleotide as well as the amino acid sequence is likely to exist in this particular region of AMELX among different breeds of domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Further molecular analysis of the intraspecific as well as the interspecific variations in the AMELX DNA will be needed to gain clear insight into the taxonomical and phylogenetic positions of the Japanese wolf.

Osteometrical and CT examination of the Japanese wolf skull.

The skulls of Japanese wolf (Canis hodophilax) were osteometrically examined and compared with those of Akita-Inu. The skull total length was not statistically different between two species. However, significant differences were demonstrated between two species in some ratios concerning the frontal bone. CT examination was carried out in the Japanese wolf skull. The data indicated that the frontal sinus is not be largely developed and compressed in the dorso-ventral direction in parasagittal area. The narrow frontal sinus fitted to external shape of the frontal bone. The cribriform plate had a well-developed complicated structure in a caudal part of the ethmoid bone. These data will be useful to examine the respiratory function and the olfactory sense in the Japanese wolf.

On the Extinction of the Japanese Wolf

Although the Japanese wolf officially became extinct in 1905, this position has been challenged by many local sightings across the country. The present paper, presenting data from the Kii Peninsula, analyzes the wolf controversy as a form of environmental symbolism. Wolf folklore is presented to show how, for generations of Japanese upland dwellers, the moral character of the wolf was environmentally predicated. Similarly, modern and contemporary local claims about the presence of the officially absent wolves can be understood as metonymical references to the yama (mountain forests) and to the historical changes that have taken place in the upland environment in modern times.

NOTES ON FOUR TYPE-SPECIMENS OF JAPANESE WOLF SPIDERS OF THE MUSEUM FÜR NATURKUNDE, HUMBOLT UNIVERSITÄT, BERLIN

The type-specimens of four species of Japanese wolf spiders are examined. Lycosa lacernata is transferred to the genus Trochosa and is synonymized with T. ruricola. Lycosa ipsa is changed to the genus Tricca and it has a priority to Tricca japonica. Pardosa astrigera should be used to the species which has long been identified with P. T-insignita in Japan. Pardosa laura has no problem.

Considerations on the change of animal life in Japan (I)

This is to explain the change of animal life of our country which has taken place since old times up to the present.Before the Meiji era our country was small, and there were only a few savage beasts and venomous snakes. We may give as savage beasts, the Japanese Black Bear, the Japanese Wolf (died out at the end of the Meiji era), and as for the large-sized mammal, though they can not be called savage beasts, the Whit-moustached Boar, the Japanese Serow, the Japanese Deer may be mentioned. As to the venomous snakes, there was only the Japanese Pit-viper. Therefore, if the birds and beasts of large size and of splendid colour came over from foreign countries, they were enough to give a surprise to the Japanese; and animals and birds of that kind had been coming actually since very old times. But the coming of those animals and birds never threw the Japanese fauna into confusion.As one of the remarkable instances that men gave to the fauna a change artificially, there was in the Edo period the slaying of the Wild Boar of Tsushima. During the eras of Genroku and Hoei, the Wild Boar did men so much harm in Tsushima that Mr. Suyama, magistrate of Tsushima feudatory made a great resolution to slay them out, and succeeded after ten years' hard effort-from the 13th year of Genroku down to the 6th year of Hoei (1700-1709).During the Edo period, some birds and animals came over from foreign contreies or were brought into Japan from Korea, and they have been settled in our country. For example, the Korean Ringnecked Pheasant, the Korean Magpie, the Rik Kiu Grey Musk Shrew and the Bed-bug are remarkable among them.As stated above, the curious birds and beasts which had not been found in Japan came over frequently from abroad since old times. Especially, since the intercourse between Japan and Holland, and other countries was commenced during the Edo period, curious animals began to come over in succession from India and Malay. The Asiatic Elephant which came over in the 13th year of Kyoho (in 1728) and the One Humped Camel in the 4th year of Bunsei (in 1821) were most famous and had a great influence on Japanese culture.The great change Restoration, however, caused the Japanese fauna a remarkable change for forty or fifty years thereafter. In extreme cases, the tribes which spread to a great extent, such as the Yezo Wolf Canis lupus hattai in Hokkaido and the Japanese Wolf Canis lupus hodopylax in Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, met with the misfortune of being slayed out completely.Among the birds which suddenly disappeared from Japan proper after the Meiji period were large-sized ones. There are only two places now in Japan where Cranes always come over in winter. Their kinds, too, are only the Hooded Crane and the White-naped Crane. Siberian White Crane Grus leucogeranus which once came over to Japan together with those two and was not rare in Kyushu has somehow never been seen since the Meiji period. There is only one mounted specimen in Japan, but the very one does not seem to be Japanese-bred. Japanese Stork Ciconia ciconia boyciana and Japanese Crested Ibis Nipponia nippon are all but being extinct in Japan.

On a Dog Skull of Stone Age in Japan and its Ancestral Form

Basing upon the measurements of about one hundred pieces of skulls and mandibles from several neolithic shell mounds in different parts of Japan and more than three hundreds of those from younger dated shell mounds and dwelling pits in Hokkaido, Kurile and Saghalin, the author classifies the prehistoric dogs into the following five kinds by the total skull length : X-155, 156-170, 171-185, 186-200 and 201-Xmm. The prehistoric dog races, Canis familiaris palustris, ladogensis, intermedius, inostranzewii and matris optimae, fall in the assigned classes respectively in the order. The dogs from neolithic shell mounds agree in more than 50% of the cases with the palustris, with a little more frequency with the ladogensis and rarely with the intermedius, while no trace of the inostranzewii and matris optimae is pointed out. A dog of the same size as the inostranzewii camel out sometimes from prehistoric sites in Asia, for instance in Anau, Mohenjo-Darn, Anyang *c, but such as matris optimae has sofar remained unknown. However, the latter is observed not seldom at the shell mounds on the coast of the Ochotk Sea.Recently the author received with surprise a dog skull of such a size as that of the matris optimae. It was found at the shell mounds of Kamikawana in Tsukinokimachi, Shiba District, Miyagi Prefecture. This is suggested by its owner to be that of a japanese wolf, Canis hodophylax, but has a more broad upper face and jaw, shorter muzzle and shorter lower first molar too h, as the following table shows. It is well plausible, that the dog or its nearest ancestor should have been imported over the Tsugaru channel from Hokkaido.In the total length of the skull, the matris optimae is to be compared with the asiatic wolves, Canis pallipes and hodophylax, the intermedius with the african jackal, C. lupaster, the ladogensis with the american coyote, C. latrans and the palustris with the asiatic jackal, C. aureus. These dog races are characterized in general by the broadness of the face and the shortness of the muzzle for the size of the head. Most striking difference between the dogs and wolves is the weakness of the teeth in the former. But things appear to be quite different with the matris optimae and the Canis variabilis Pei from the Sinanthropus site. The length of the lower first molar tooth of the C. variabilis is over 25mm in a fourth and 21-24mm in three fourth of the cases. While that of the matris optimae amounts to 20-24mm and that of the C. hodophylax to 25mm or more. A few portion of the examined mandibles of the lower pleistocen wolf is of the same size as the inostranzewii. The author supposes that the Canis variabilis inhabited at that time in a large area in southern Asia and afterwards is differentiated to the Canis pallipes, hodophylax, fam. matris optimae and fam. inostranzewii. Therefor the living wolf kinds have nothing to do with the ancestral forms of the prehistoric dog races.