Editing Coyote (section)

==Taxonomy and evolution==

===History===
[[File:Toltec coyote.jpg|thumb|A [[Toltec]] pictograph of a coyote]]
At the time of the European colonization of the Americas, coyotes were largely confined to open plains and arid regions of the western half of the continent.{{sfn|Nowak|1979|p=14}} In early post-Columbian historical records, determining whether the writer is describing coyotes or wolves is often difficult. One record from 1750 in [[Kaskaskia, Illinois]], written by a local priest, noted that the "wolves" encountered there were smaller and less daring than European wolves. Another account from the early 1800s in [[Edwards County, Illinois]] mentioned wolves howling at night, though these were likely coyotes.<ref name="hoffmeister">{{cite book |last=Hoffmeister |first=Donald F. |year=2002 |title=Mammals of Illinois |publisher=University of Illinois Press |pages=33–34 |isbn=978-0-252-07083-9 |oclc=50649299 |url={{Google book|plainurl=yes|id=IH4iv6MrrW4C|page=33}} }}</ref> This species was encountered several times during the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] (1804–1806), though it was already well known to European traders on the upper [[Missouri River|Missouri]]. [[Meriwether Lewis]], writing on 5&nbsp;May 1805, in northeastern [[Montana]], described the coyote in these terms:
{{Blockquote|<!-- Leave spelling errors as-is; this is a direct quote. -->The small wolf or burrowing dog of the prairies are the inhabitants almost invariably of the open plains; they usually associate in bands of ten or twelve sometimes more and burrow near some pass or place much frequented by game; not being able alone to take [[deer]] or goat they are rarely ever found alone but hunt in bands; they frequently watch and seize their prey near their burrows; in these burrows, they raise their young and to them they also resort when pursued; when a person approaches them they frequently bark, their note being precisely that of the small dog. They are of an intermediate size between that of the [[fox]] and dog, very active fleet and delicately formed; the ears large erect and pointed the head long and pointed more like that of the fox; tale long ... the hair and fur also resembles the fox, tho' is much coarser and inferior. They are of a pale reddish-brown colour. The eye of a deep sea green colour small and piercing. Their [claws] are rather longer than those of the ordinary wolf or that common to the Atlantic states, none of which are to be found in this quarter, nor I believe above the river Plat.<ref name="mussulman2004"/>}}

The coyote was first scientifically described by [[naturalist]] [[Thomas Say]] in September&nbsp;1819, on the site of Lewis and Clark's Council Bluffs, {{convert|15|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} up the Missouri River from the mouth of the Platte during a [[Stephen Harriman Long#1817-23 expeditions up the Missouri and Platte Rivers|government-sponsored expedition]] with Major [[Stephen Harriman Long|Stephen Long]]. He had the first edition of the Lewis and Clark journals in hand, which contained Biddle's edited version of Lewis's observations dated 5&nbsp;May 1805. His account was published in 1823. [[Thomas Say|Say]] was the first person to document the difference between a "''prairie wolf''" (coyote) and on the next page of his journal a wolf which he named ''Canis nubilus'' ([[Great Plains wolf]]).<ref name="say1823">{{cite book |last1=James |first1=Edwin |last2=Long |first2=Stephen H. |last3=Say |first3=Thomas |last4=Adams |first4=John |year=1823 |title=Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains, performed in the years 1819 and '20 |url=https://archive.org/stream/accountofexpedit01jame#page/168/mode/2up/search/canis+latrans |publisher=Longman, Hurst, Pees, Orre, & Brown |location=London |volume=1 |pages=168–174}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2179 |title=Thomas Say: ''Canis latrans'' |last1=Mussulman |first1=Joseph |date=November 2004 |publisher=Discovering Lewis & Clark |access-date=15 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721214331/http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2179 |archive-date=July 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Say described the coyote as:
{{Blockquote|<!-- Leave spelling errors as-is [sic]. This is a direct quote. -->''Canis latrans''. Cinereous or gray, varied with black above, and dull fulvous, or cinnamon; ''hair'' at base dusky plumbeous, in the middle of its length dull cinnamon, and at tip gray or black, longer on the vertebral line; ''ears'' erect, rounded at tip, cinnamon behind, the hair dark plumbeous at base, inside lined with gray hair; ''eyelids'' edged with black, superior eyelashes black beneath, and at tip above; supplemental lid margined with black-brown before, and edged with black brown behind; ''iris'' yellow; ''pupil'' black-blue; spot upon the lachrymal sac black-brown; ''[[Rostrum (anatomy)|rostrum]]'' cinnamon, tinctured with grayish on the nose; ''lips'' white, edged with black, three series of black seta; ''head'' between the ears intermixed with gray, and dull cinnamon, hairs dusky plumbeous at base; ''sides'' paler than the back, obsoletely fasciate with black above the legs; ''legs'' cinnamon on the outer side, more distinct on the posterior hair: a dilated black abbreviated line on the anterior ones near the wrist; ''tail'' bushy, fusiform, straight, varied with gray and cinnamon, a spot near the base above, and tip black; the tip of the trunk of the tail, attains the tip of the [[Calcaneus|os calcis]], when the leg is extended; ''beneath'' white, immaculate, tail cinnamon towards the tip, tip black; posterior feet four toed, anterior five toed.<ref name="say1823"/>}}

===Naming and etymology===
The first published usage of the word "coyote" (which is a Spanish borrowing of its [[Nahuatl]] name ''coyōtl'' {{Pronunciation|Coyotl.ogg}}) comes from the [[historian]] [[Francisco Javier Clavijero]]'s ''Historia de México'' in 1780.<ref name="clavijero1817">{{cite book |last1=Clavijero |first1=Francisco Javier |last2=Cullen |first2=Charles |year=1817 |url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofmexicoc11817clav#page/56/mode/2up |title=The history of Mexico: Collected from Spanish and Mexican historians, from manuscripts and ancient paintings of the Indians : together with the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards : illustrated by engravings with critical dissertations on the land, the animals, and inhabitants of Mexico |volume=1 |publisher=Thomas Dobson |page=57 |oclc=13601464 |location=Philadelphia}}</ref> The first time it was used in [[English language|English]] occurred in [[William Bullock (collector)|William Bullock]]'s ''Six months' residence and travels in Mexico'' (1824), where it is variously transcribed as ''cayjotte'' and ''cocyotie''. The word's spelling was standardized as "coyote" by the 1880s.<ref name="mussulman2004">{{cite web |url=http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2177 |title=Coyote |last1=Mussulman |first1=Joseph |date=November 2004 |publisher=Discovering Lewis & Clark |access-date=15 January 2013 |archive-date=July 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721183008/http://www.lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=2177 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bullock|first=W. |year=1824|url=https://archive.org/stream/gri_sixmonthsres00bull#page/n145/mode/2up/search/wolf|title=Six months' residence and travels in Mexico: Containing remarks on the present state of New Spain, its natural productions, state of society, manufactures, trade, agriculture, and antiquities, &c. : with plates and maps|location=London| publisher=John Murray, Albemarle-Street |pages=119, 261}}</ref> 

The English pronunciation is heard both as a two-syllable word (with the final "e" silent) and as three-syllables (with the final "e" pronounced),<ref>Ogilvie, John (1885). ''The Imperial Dictionary''.</ref> with a tendency for the three-syllable pronunciation in eastern states and near the Mexican border, and outside the United States, with two syllables in western and central states.<ref>Garner, Gryan (2000). ''The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style,'' p. 88. Oxford University Press.</ref><ref>Fogarty, Mignon (March 1, 2018). [https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/how-to-pronounce-coyote/ How to Pronounce ‘Coyote’]. Retrieved 2 Feb. 2024.</ref>

Alternative English names for the coyote include "prairie wolf", "brush wolf", "cased wolf",<ref name="ern789">{{Harvnb|Seton|1909|p=789}}</ref>{{efn|The name "cased wolf" originates from the fact that the coyote's skin was historically cased like that of the [[muskrat]], whereas the wolf's was spread out flat like the [[American beaver|beaver]]'s.<ref name="ern789"/>}} "little wolf"<ref name="gier1974">{{cite book |last=Gier |first=H.T. |year=1974 |chapter=Ecology and Behavior of the Coyote (''Canis latrans'') |pages=247–262 |editor-first=M. W. |editor-last=Fox |title=The Wild Canids: Their systematics, behavioral ecology, and evolution |location=New York |publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold |isbn=978-0-442-22430-1 |oclc=1093505}}</ref> and "American jackal".<ref name="bekoff2003"/> Its [[binomial name]] ''Canis latrans'' translates to "barking dog", a reference to the many vocalizations they produce.<ref name="lehner1978"/>

{{Anchor|Local and indigenous names}}
<!-- PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE ADDING AN INDIGENOUS OR LOCAL NAME FOR THIS BOX
* All names should be from languages present in areas where coyotes are indigenous or were once indigenous.
* Names must be sourced and verifiable.                                                                   
-->
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ Local and indigenous names for ''Canis latrans''
! Linguistic group or area
! Indigenous name
|-
| [[Arikara language|Arikara]]
| ''Stshirits pukatsh''<ref name="young6">{{Harvnb|Young|Jackson|1978|pp=6–7}}</ref>
|-
| [[Canadian French]]
| ''Coyote''<ref name="ern789"/>
|-
| [[Lower Chinook|Chinook]] || ''Italipas''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Chipewyan language|Chipewyan]]
| ''Nu-ní-yĕ=̑ts!ế-lĕ''<ref name="curtis">{{cite book |last=Curtis |first=E. S. |year=1928 |series=The North American Indian |volume=18 |title=The Chipewyan. The western woods Cree. The Sarsi |publisher=Classic Books Company |page=201 |isbn=978-0-7426-9818-5}}</ref>
|-
| [[Cocopah language|Cocopah]]
| ''Ṭxpa''<ref name="crawford1989">{{cite dictionary |last=Crawford |first=J. M. |year=1989 |title=Cocopa Dictionary |page=445 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-09749-0 |oclc=20012309 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=ohzvjgEACAAJ |page=445}} }}</ref><br />''Xṭpa''<ref name="crawford1989"/>
|-
| [[East Cree|Northern Cree]]<br/>[[Plains Cree language|Plains Cree]]
| {{lang|cr|ᒣᐢᒐᒑᑲᓂᐢ}} (''Mîscacâkanis'')<ref name="leclaire1998">{{cite dictionary |last1=LeClire |first1=N. |last2=Cardinal |first2=G. |year=1998 |title= Alberta Elders' Cree Dictionary |page=279 |publisher=University of Alberta |isbn=978-0-88864-284-4 |oclc=659111819 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=CPvhQfDMOlIC|page=279}} }}</ref><br/>
{{lang|cr|ᒣᐢᒐᒑᑲᓂᐢ}} (''Mescacâkanis'')<ref name="leclaire1998"/>
|-
| [[Creek language|Creek]]
| ''Yvhuce'' (archaic)<ref name="martin2004">{{cite dictionary |last1=Martin |first1=J. P. |last2=Mauldin|first2=M. M. |year=2004 |title=A Dictionary of Creek / Muskogee |page=153 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-8302-2 |oclc=43561668 |url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=0qDkYfyX010C|page=153}} }}</ref><br/>''Yvhvlanuce'' (modern)<ref name="martin2004"/>
|-
| [[Dakota language|Dakota]]
| ''Mica''<ref name="young6"/><br/>''Micaksica''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Salishan languages|Flathead]]
| ''Sinchlep''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Hidatsa language|Hidatsa]]
| ''Motsa''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Hopi language|Hopi]]
| ''Iisawu''<ref name="albert1985">{{cite dictionary |last1=Albert |first1=R. |last2=Shaul |first2=D. L. |year=1985 |title=A Concise Hopi and English Lexicon |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing |page=26 |isbn=978-90-272-2015-8 |oclc=777549431 |url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=YlnwKAt6v68C|page=26}} }}</ref><br />''Isaw''<ref name="albert1985"/>
|-
| [[Karuk language|Karuk]]
| ''Pihnêefich''<ref name=karukdictionary2015>{{cite dictionary |url=http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~karuk/karuk-dictionary.php?exact-match=&lx=&ge=coyote&sd=&pos=&lxGroup-id=4782&audio=&index-position=&index-order= |first1=William |last1=Bright |first2=Susan |last2=Gehr |title=Karuk Dictionary and Texts |entry=Coyote |publisher=Karuk Tribe & UC Berkeley |access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Klamath language|Klamath]]
| ''Ko-ha-a''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Mandan language|Mandan]]
| ''Scheke''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Mayan language|Mayan]]
| ''Pek'i'cash''<ref name="reid2009">{{cite book |last=Reid |first=F. A. |year=2009 |title=A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico |publisher= Oxford University Press |page=259 |isbn=978-0-19-534322-9 |oclc=237402526 |url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=aBEbUaXTWYAC|page=259}} }}</ref>
|-
| [[Nez Perce language|Nez Perce]]
| ''ʔiceyé•ye''<ref>{{cite dictionary |last=Aoki |first=Haruo |year=1994 |title=Nez Percé dictionary |page=491 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-09763-6 |oclc=463788185}}</ref>
|-
| [[Nahuatl language|Nahuatl]]
| ''Coyōtl''<ref name="clavijero1817"/>
|-
| [[Navajo language|Navajo]]
| ''Ma'ii''<ref>{{cite dictionary |last=Neundorf |first=A. |year=1983 |title=A Navajo / English Bilingual Dictionary: Áłchíní Bi Naaltsoostsoh |page=512 |publisher=University of New Mexico Press |isbn=978-0-8263-3825-9 |oclc=57357517 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=nRVnA3q_NkgC |page=512}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lakota language|Lakota]]
| ''Mee-yah-slay'-cha-lah''<ref name="ern789"/>
|-
| [[Ojibwe language|Ojibwe]] ([[Chippewa language|Southwestern]])
| ''Wiisagi-ma’iingan''<ref>{{cite web |title=Animal Names, Ojibwemowin |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd897207.pdf |website=USDA Forest Service |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture |access-date=8 October 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[Omaha–Ponca language|Omaha]]
| ''Mikasi''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Osage language|Osage]]
| {{lang|osa|𐓇ó𐓨𐓣͘𐓡𐓤𐓘𐓮𐓣}} ''Šómįhkasi''<ref name="quintero">{{cite book |last=Quintero |first=C. |year=2004 |title=Osage Grammar |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |page=83 |isbn=978-0-8032-3803-9 |oclc=57614396 |url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=wnvaInod5MAC|page=83}} }}</ref>
|-
| [[Pawnee language|Pawnee]]
| ''Ckirihki''<ref>{{cite dictionary |last1=Parks |first1=R. P. |last2=Pratt |first2=L. N. |year=2008 |title=A Dictionary of Skiri Pawnee |page=119 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0-8032-1926-7 |oclc=940905155}}</ref>
|-
| [[Paiute people|Piute]]
| ''Eja-ah''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish]]
| ''Coyote''<ref name="reid2009"/><br/>
''Perro de monte''<ref name="reid2009"/>
|-
| [[Sahaptin language|Yakama]]
| ''Telipa''<ref name="young6"/>
|-
| [[Timbisha language|Timbisha]]
| ''Isa(ppü)''<ref name="daley1989">{{cite dictionary |last=Dayley |first=J. P. |year=1989 |title=Tümpisa (Panamint) Shoshone Dictionary |publisher=University of California Press |page=436 |isbn=978-0-520-09754-4 |oclc=489876664 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=rBweNGy2aGMC |page=436}}}}</ref><br/>
''Isapaippü''<ref name="daley1989"/><br/>
''Itsappü''<ref name="daley1989"/>
|-
| [[Wintu language|Wintu]]
| ''Ćarawa''<ref name="pitkin1985">{{cite book |last=Pitkin |first=H. |year=1985 |title=Wintu Dictionary |publisher=University of California Press |pages=65, 573 |isbn=978-0-520-09613-4 |oclc=12313411}}</ref><br/>
''Sedet''<ref name="pitkin1985"/>
|-
| [[Assiniboine language|Nakota]]
| ''Song-toke-cha''<ref name="ern789"/>
|-
| [[Yurok language|Yurok]]
| ''Segep''<ref name=yurokdictionary2015>{{cite dictionary |url=http://corpus.linguistics.berkeley.edu/~yurok/lexicon.php?style=query&writing=&lx-id=2969&index=&yu=&ge=&sd=&rf=&pd=&ps=&mr=&quick-search=coyote |entry=Coyote |publisher=UC Berkeley |access-date=22 May 2015|title=Yurok Dictionary: Segep }}</ref>
|}

===Evolution===
{{Cladogram|align=right|title=[[Phylogenetic tree]] of the [[Canina (subtribe)|wolf-like canids]] with timing in millions of years{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=mtdna_seq_desc|For a full set of supporting references refer to the note (a) in the phylotree at [[Evolution of the wolf#Wolf-like canids]]}}
|cladogram={{clade | style = font-size:85%;line-height:80%;width:400px;
 |label1=[[Caninae]] 3.5 [[Megaannum|Ma]]
 |1={{clade
  |label1=3.0
  |1={{clade
   |label1=2.5
   |1={{clade
    |label1=2.0
    |1={{clade
     |label1=0.96
     |1={{clade
       |label1=0.6
       |1={{clade
        |label1=0.38
        |1={{clade
         |1={{clade
          |1={{clade
           |1=[[Dog|Domestic dog]] <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:202104 Dog.svg|50 px]]</span>
           |2=[[Wolf|Gray wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I).jpg|50 px]]
}}
}}
         |2='''Coyote''' [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IX).jpg|50 px]]
}}
        |2=[[African wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
       |2=[[Golden jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate X).jpg|50 px]]
}}
      |2=[[Ethiopian wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate VI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
     |2=[[Dhole]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
     |2=[[African wild dog]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLIV).jpg|50 px]]
}}
  |2={{clade
   |1={{clade
    |1=[[Side-striped jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XIII).jpg|50 px]]
    |2=[[Black-backed jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XII).jpg|50 px]]
}}
    |label1=2.6
}}
}}
}}
}}

====Fossil record====
{{See also|Evolution of the wolf#Fossil record}}

[[Xiaoming Wang (paleontologist)|Xiaoming Wang]] and [[Richard H. Tedford]], one of the foremost [[Author citation (zoology)|authorities]] on carnivore evolution,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Natural History: Canid Family Ties |year=2008|magazine=The Magazine of the American Museum of Natural History|url=https://archive.org/stream/naturalhistory11706unse#page/22|page=22|volume=117|number=6|publisher=American Museum of Natural History|location=New York}}</ref> proposed that the genus ''Canis'' was the descendant of the coyote-like ''[[Eucyon davisi]]'' and its remains first appeared in the [[Miocene]] 6{{nbsp}}million years ago (Mya) in the southwestern US and Mexico. By the [[Pliocene]] (5{{nbsp}}Mya), the larger ''[[Canis lepophagus]]''<ref name=fossilworks1/> appeared in the same region and by the [[early Pleistocene]] (1{{nbsp}}Mya) ''C.{{nbsp}}latrans'' (the coyote) was in existence. They proposed that the progression from ''Eucyon davisi'' to ''C.{{nbsp}}lepophagus'' to the coyote was linear evolution.{{sfn|Wang|Tedford|2008|p=58}} 

''C.{{nbsp}}latrans'' and ''C.{{nbsp}}aureus'' are closely related to ''[[Canis edwardii|C.{{nbsp}}edwardii]]'', a species that appeared earliest spanning the mid-[[Blancan]] ([[late Pliocene]]) to the close of the [[Irvingtonian]] (late Pleistocene), and coyote remains indistinguishable from ''C.&nbsp;latrans'' were contemporaneous with ''C.{{nbsp}}edwardii'' in North America.{{sfn|Tedford|Wang|Taylor|2009|pp=175, 180}} Johnston describes ''C.{{nbsp}}lepophagus'' as having a more slender skull and skeleton than the modern coyote.{{sfn|Johnston|1938|p=385}} Ronald Nowak found that the early populations had small, delicate, narrowly proportioned skulls that resemble small coyotes and appear to be ancestral to ''C.&nbsp;latrans''.{{sfn|Nowak|2003|p=241}}

''C. lepophagus'' was similar in weight to modern coyotes, but had shorter limb bones that indicate a less [[cursorial]] lifestyle. The coyote represents a more primitive form of ''Canis'' than the gray wolf, as shown by its relatively small size and its comparatively narrow skull and jaws, which lack the grasping power necessary to hold the large prey in which wolves specialize. This is further corroborated by the coyote's [[sagittal crest]], which is low or totally flattened, thus indicating a weaker bite than the wolves. The coyote, unlike the wolf, is not a specialized carnivore, as shown by the larger chewing surfaces on the [[molar (tooth)|molars]], reflecting the species' relative dependence on vegetable matter. In these respects, the coyote resembles the fox-like progenitors of the genus more so than the wolf.<ref name=nowak1978/>

The oldest fossils that fall within the range of the modern coyote date to 0.74–0.85 [[Megaannum|Ma]] (million years) in Hamilton Cave, West Virginia; 0.73 Ma in Irvington, California; 0.35–0.48 Ma in Porcupine Cave, Colorado, and in Cumberland Cave, Pennsylvania.{{sfn|Tedford|Wang|Taylor|2009|p=136}} Modern coyotes arose 1,000 years after the [[Quaternary extinction event]].<ref name="meachen2012"/> Compared to their modern [[Holocene]] counterparts, [[Pleistocene coyote]]s (''C.{{nbsp}}l. orcutti'') were larger and more robust, likely in response to larger [[Competition (biology)|competitors]] and prey.<ref name="meachen2012">{{cite journal | doi = 10.1073/pnas.1113788109|pmid=22371581| title = Evolution in coyotes (''Canis latrans'') in response to the megafaunal extinctions| journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences| volume = 109| issue = 11| pages = 4191–6| year = 2012| last1 = Meachen | first1 = J. A. | last2 = Samuels | first2 = J. X. |issn=1091-6490|oclc=475396714|bibcode=2012PNAS..109.4191M | pmc=3306717| url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1043&context=natlpark|doi-access=free}}</ref> Pleistocene coyotes were likely more specialized carnivores than their descendants, as their teeth were more adapted to shearing meat, showing fewer grinding surfaces suited for processing vegetation.<ref name="meachen2014">{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0116041|pmid=25551387| title = Ecological Changes in Coyotes (''Canis latrans'') in Response to the Ice Age Megafaunal Extinctions| journal = PLOS ONE| volume = 9| issue = 12| page = e116041| year = 2014| last1 = Meachen | first1 = J. A. | last2 = Janowicz | first2 = A. C. | last3 = Avery | first3 = J. E. | last4 = Sadleir | first4 = R. W. |bibcode = 2014PLoSO...9k6041M | pmc=4281224|doi-access=free}}</ref> Their reduction in size occurred within 1,000 years of the Quaternary extinction event, when their large prey died out.<ref name="meachen2012"/> Furthermore, Pleistocene coyotes were unable to exploit the big-game hunting [[Ecological niche|niche]] left vacant after the extinction of the [[dire wolf]] (''Aenocyon{{nbsp}}dirus''), as it was rapidly filled by gray wolves, which likely actively killed off the large coyotes, with [[natural selection]] favoring the modern gracile morph. Coyotes are usually 5-7 feet long.<ref name="meachen2014"/>

====DNA evidence====
[[File:Canis latrans orcutti.png|thumb|A skeleton of a [[Pleistocene coyote]] (''C.{{nbsp}}l. orcutti'')]]

In 1993, a study proposed that the wolves of North America display skull traits more similar to the coyote than wolves from Eurasia.<ref name=goulet1993/> In 2010, a study found that the coyote was a [[lineage (genetic)#Basal lineage|basal]] member of the clade that included the [[Tibetan wolf]], the [[Dog|domestic dog]], the [[Mongolian wolf]] and the [[Eurasian wolf]], with the Tibetan wolf diverging early from wolves and domestic dogs.<ref name=zhang2010/>

In 2016, a [[Whole genome sequencing|whole-genome]] DNA study proposed, based on the assumptions made, that all of the North American wolves and coyotes diverged from a common ancestor about 51,000&nbsp;years ago.<ref name=vonholdt2016/><ref name=virginia2016/> However, the proposed timing of the wolf / coyote divergence conflicts with the discovery of a coyote-like specimen in strata dated to 1&nbsp;Mya.{{sfn|Wang|Tedford|2008|p={{page needed|date=November 2020}}}} The study also indicated that all North American wolves have a significant amount of coyote ancestry and all coyotes some degree of wolf ancestry, and that the red wolf and eastern wolf are highly [[Genetic admixture|admixed]] with different proportions of gray wolf and coyote ancestry.<ref name=vonholdt2016/><ref name=virginia2016/>

Genetic studies relating to wolves or dogs have inferred phylogenetic relationships based on the only reference genome available, that of the Boxer dog. In 2017, the first reference genome of the wolf ''Canis lupus lupus'' was mapped to aid future research.<ref name=gopalakrishnan2017/> In 2018, a study looked at the genomic structure and admixture of North American wolves, wolf-like canids, and coyotes using specimens from across their entire range that mapped the largest dataset of nuclear genome sequences against the wolf reference genome.

The study supports the findings of previous studies that North American gray wolves and wolf-like canids were the result of complex gray wolf and coyote mixing. A polar wolf from Greenland and a coyote from Mexico represented the purest specimens. The coyotes from Alaska, California, Alabama, and Quebec show almost no wolf ancestry. Coyotes from Missouri, Illinois, and Florida exhibit 5–10% wolf ancestry. There was 40% wolf to 60% coyote ancestry in red wolves, 60% wolf to 40% coyote in Eastern timber wolves, and 75% wolf to 25% coyote in the Great Lakes wolves. There was 10% coyote ancestry in Mexican wolves and the Atlantic Coast wolves, 5% in Pacific Coast and Yellowstone wolves, and less than 3% in Canadian archipelago wolves. If a third canid had been involved in the admixture of the North American wolf-like canids, then its genetic signature would have been found in coyotes and wolves, which it has not.<ref name=sinding2018/>

In 2018, [[whole genome sequencing]] was used to compare members of the genus ''Canis''. The study indicates that the common ancestor of the coyote and gray [[wolf]] has genetically [[Genetic admixture|admixed]] with a [[ghost population]] of an extinct, unidentified canid. The "ghost" canid was genetically close to the [[dhole]], and had evolved after the divergence of the [[African wild dog]] from the other canid species. The [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] position of the coyote compared to the wolf is proposed to be due to the coyote retaining more of the mitochondrial genome from the unknown extinct canid.<ref name=gopalakrishnan2018/>

===Subspecies===
{{As of|2005}}, 19&nbsp;subspecies are recognized.<ref name=bekoff2003>
{{cite book
 |first1=Marc    |last1=Bekoff
 |first2=Eric M. |last2=Gese
 |year=2003
 |chapter=Coyote
 |pages=467–470
 |editor1-first=George A. |editor1-last=Feldhamer
 |editor2-first=Bruce C.  |editor2-last=Thompson
 |editor3-first=Joseph A. |editor3-last=Chapman
 |title=Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, management, and conservation
 |edition=2nd
 |location=Baltimore, MD
 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press
 |isbn=978-0-8018-7416-1   |oclc=51969059
 |chapter-url={{google books|plainurl=yes|id=-xQalfqP7BcC|page=467}}
}}
</ref><ref name=msw3>
{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14000718}}
</ref>
Geographic variation in coyotes is not great; however, taken as a whole, the eastern subspecies ({{nobr|''C. l. thamnos''}} and {{nobr|''C. l. frustor''}}) are large, dark-colored animals, with a gradual paling in color and reduction in size westward and northward ({{nobr|''C. l. texensis''}}, {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}}, {{nobr|''C. l. lestes''}}, and {{nobr|''C. l. incolatus''}}), a brightening of [[Ochre|'ochraceous']] tones – deep orange or brown – towards the Pacific coast ({{nobr|''C. l. ochropus''}}, {{nobr|''C. l. umpquensis''}}), a reduction in size in [[Aridoamerica]] ({{nobr|''C. l. microdon''}}, {{nobr|''C. l. mearnsi''}}) and a general trend towards dark reddish colors and short muzzles in Mexican and Central American populations.<ref name="young249">{{Harvnb|Young|Jackson|1978|p=249}}</ref>

{| class="sortable wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"
 |- style="background:#115a6c;"
 ! Subspecies
 ! Trinomial authority
 !Trinomial authority (year)
! Description & Image
 ! Range
 
!Synonyms
|-
 | '''Plains coyote'''<br/>''C. l. latrans''<br/>[[nominate subspecies]]
[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. latrans ♂.png|150 px]]
 | [[Thomas Say|Say]]<br/><br/>
 |1823
| [[File:Canis latrans latrans Pennington County SD.jpg|180px]]<br/>The largest subspecies; it has rather pale fur and bears large molars and carnassials.<ref name="merriam1897">{{cite journal |author=Merriam, C.H. |year=1897 |title=Revision of the coyotes or prairie wolves, with descriptions of new forms |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=11 |pages=19–33 |url=http://biostor.org/reference/82756}}</ref>
 | The [[Great Plains]] from [[Alberta]], Manitoba, and [[Saskatchewan]] south to [[New Mexico]] and the [[Texas Panhandle]]<ref name=range>{{harvnb|Nowak|1979|pp=[https://archive.org/stream/northamericanqua00nowa#page/9/mode/2up 9–10]}}</ref>
 
|{{small|[syn: {{nobr|''C. l. nebracensis''}} (Merriam, 1898)<br/>{{nobr|''C. l. pallidus''}} (Merriam, 1897)]}}
|-
 | '''Mexican coyote'''<br/>''C. l. cagottis''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. cagottis.png|150 px]]
 | C.E.H.&nbsp;Smith
 |1839
| Similar to {{nobr|''C. l. peninsulae''}}, but larger and redder in color; it has shorter ears, larger teeth, and a broader muzzle.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | States of [[Oaxaca]], [[San Luis Potosi]], [[Puebla]], and [[Veracruz]] in Mexico<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''San Pedro Martir coyote'''<br/>''C. l. clepticus''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. clepticus.png|150 px]]
 | [[Daniel Giraud Elliot|Elliot]]
 |1903
| [[File:Canis latrans.jpg|180px]]<br/>A small subspecies, it has reddish summer fur and a short, broad skull.<ref name="elliot1904">{{cite book |author=Elliot, D.G. |year=1904 |title=The land and sea mammals of Middle America and the West Indies |volume=II |pages=467–468 |place=Chicago, IL |url=https://archive.org/details/landseamammalsof02elli}}</ref>
 | Northern [[Baja California (state)|Baja California]] and southwestern California<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''El Salvador coyote'''<br/>''C. l. dickeyi''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. dickeyi.png|150 px]]
 | [[Edward William Nelson|Nelson]]
 |1932
| A large subspecies, it equals {{nobr|''C. l. lestes''}} in size, but has smaller teeth and darker fur.<ref name="nelson1932">{{cite journal |author=Nelson, E.W. |year=1932 |title=Remarks on coyotes, with description of a new subspecies from Salvador |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=45 |pages=223–225 |url=http://biostor.org/reference/82997 |access-date=September 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907165302/http://biostor.org/reference/82997 |archive-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref>
 | Originally only known from Cerro Mogote, {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} west of the [[Goascorán River]] in [[La Unión, El Salvador]];<ref name="nelson1932"/> in January 2013, it expanded its range southward into southern [[Panama]].<ref name="mendez2014"/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Southeastern coyote'''<br/>''C. l. frustor''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. frustor.png|150 px]]
 | [[Samuel Washington Woodhouse|Woodhouse]]
 |1851
| This subspecies is similar to {{nobr|''C. l. peninsulae''}}, but larger and paler, with shorter ears and a longer muzzle.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Southeastern and extreme eastern [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Texas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Arkansas]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Belize coyote'''<br/>''C. l. goldmani''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. goldmani.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
 |1904
| The largest of the Mexican coyotes, it approaches {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}} in size, but has a shorter muzzle.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Merriam, C.H. |year=1904 |title=A new coyote from southern Mexico |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=17 |page=157 |url=http://biostor.org/reference/82977.text |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907165531/http://biostor.org/reference/82977.text |archive-date=September 7, 2014 }}</ref>
 | Known only from San Vicente, [[Chiapas]], Mexico, near the [[Guatemala]]n border, though it could be the coyote of western Guatemala.<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Honduras coyote'''<br/>''C. l. hondurensis''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. hondurensis.png|150 px]]
 | [[Edward Alphonso Goldman|Goldman]]
 |1936
| A small, rufous-colored subspecies, it has coarse, thin fur and a broad skull.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Goldman, E.A. |year=1936 |title=A new coyote from Honduras |journal=J. Wash. Acad. Sci. |volume=26 |pages=32–34  |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ia/journalofwashin261936wash#page/45/mode/1up}}</ref>
 | Known only from the open country northeast of Archaga, north of [[Tegucigalpa]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Durango coyote'''<br/>''C. l. impavidus''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. impavidus.png|150 px]]
 | [[Joel Asaph Allen|Allen]]
 |1903
| This canid is similar to {{nobr|''C. l. cagottis''}} in color, but much larger.<ref name="elliot1904"/>
 | Southern [[Sonora]], extreme southwestern [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]], western [[Durango]], western [[Zacatecas]], and [[Sinaloa]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Northern coyote'''<br/>''C. l. incolatus''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. incolatus.png|150 px]]
 | [[Ansel Franklin Hall|Hall]]
 |1934
| [[File:Coyote in Alaska.jpg|180px]]<br/>A medium-sized subspecies, it has cinnamon-colored fur and a more concave skull than {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}}.<ref name="young263">{{Harvnb|Young|Jackson|1978|p=263}}</ref>
 | Boreal forests of [[Alaska]], the [[Yukon]], the [[Northwest Territories]], northern [[British Columbia]], and northern [[Alberta]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Tiburón Island coyote'''<br/>''C. l. jamesi''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. jamesi.png|150 px]]
 | [[Charles Haskins Townsend|Townsend]]
 |1912
| Much paler than {{nobr|''C. l. mearnsi''}}, it has heavier teeth, a large skull, and long ears.<ref name=tiburon>{{cite journal |author=Townsend, C.H. |author-link=Charles Haskins Townsend |year=1912 |journal=Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=31 |pages=117–130 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/86439#page/151/mode/1up |title=Mammals collected by the 'Albatross' expedition in Lower California in 1911, with descriptions of new species}}</ref>
 | [[Tiburón Island]]<ref name=tiburon/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Mountain coyote'''<br/>''C. l. lestes''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. lestes.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
 |1897
| [[File:Coyote Yellowstone (cropped).jpg|180px]]<br/>Similar in size and color to {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}}, this subspecies has a large tail and ears.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Southern British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, [[Washington (state)|Washington]] east of the [[Cascade Range]], [[Oregon]], northern [[California]], western [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Colorado]] (except the southeastern corner), north-central [[Nevada]], and north-central [[Utah]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Mearns' coyote'''<br/>''C. l. mearnsi''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. mearnsi.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]<br/><br/>
 |1897
| [[File:Coyote en Sonora.jpg|180px]]<br/>A small subspecies with medium-sized ears, a small skull and small teeth; its fur is richly and brightly colored. The [[fulvous]] tints are exceedingly bright, and cover the hindfeet and forefeet.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Southwestern [[Colorado]], extreme southern [[Utah]] and [[Nevada]], [[southeastern California]], northeastern [[Baja California]], [[Arizona]], west of the [[Rio Grande]] in [[New Mexico]], northern [[Sonora]] and Chihuahua<ref name=range/>
 
|{{small|[syn: {{nobr|''C. l. estor''}} (Merriam, 1897)]}}
|-
 | '''Lower Rio Grande coyote'''<br/>''C. l. microdon''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. microdon.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
 |1897
| A small subspecies, it has small teeth and rather dark fur. The upper surface of the hind foot is whitish, while the belly is sprinkled with black-tipped hairs.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Southern Texas and northern [[Tamaulipas]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Valley coyote'''<br/>''[[Valley coyote|C. l. ochropus]]''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. ochropus.png|150 px]]
 | [[Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz|von Eschscholtz]]
 |1829
| [[File:Coyote Beverley Hills CA.jpg|180px]]<br/>Similar to {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}} and {{nobr|''C. l. lestes''}}, but smaller, darker, more brightly colored; it has larger ears and smaller skull and teeth.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | California west of the [[Sierra Nevada]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Peninsula coyote'''<br/>''C. l. peninsulae''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. peninsulae.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
 |1897
| It is similar to {{nobr|''C. l. ochropus''}} in size and features, but has darker, redder fur. The underside of the tail is blacker than that of {{nobr|''C. l. ochropus''}}, and the belly has more black-tipped hairs.<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Baja California<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''[[Eastern coyote]]'''<br/>''C. l.'' var.<br/>[[File:Canis latrans texensis vs Canis latrans "var.".jpg|center|150 px]]
 | Lawrence & Bossert<br/><br/>
 |1969
| [[File:Coyote-face-snow - Virginia - ForestWander.jpg|180px]]<br/> It is a hybrid of {{nobr|''C. lupus''}}/{{nobr|''C. lycaon''}} and {{nobr|''C. latrans''}}; smaller than the [[eastern wolf]] and holds smaller territories, but larger and holds more extensive home ranges than the typical western coyote. 
 | [[New England]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[Ohio]], [[West Virginia]], [[Maryland]], [[Delaware]], and [[Virginia]], and the eastern Canadian provinces of [[Ontario]], [[Quebec]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Prince Edward Island]], and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]<ref name=range/>
 
|{{small|[syn: {{nobr|''C. l. oriens''}}, {{nobr|''C. l. virginiensis''}}]}}
|-
 | '''Texas plains coyote'''<br/>''C. l. texensis''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. texensis.png|150 px]]
 | [[Vernon Orlando Bailey|Bailey]]
 |1905
| [[File:Happy Coyote Bandeler Los Alamos NM.jpg|180px]]<br/>Smaller than {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}}, it has brighter, more [[fulvous]] fur closely approaching the richness found in {{nobr|''C. l. ochropus''}}, though {{nobr|''C. l. texensis''}} lacks that subspecies' large ears.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bailey, V. |year=1905 |title=Biological survey of Texas |journal=North American Fauna |volume=25 |pages=1–222 |doi=10.3996/nafa.25.0001 |doi-access=free |issn=1944-4575 |oclc=273060038 |hdl=2027/mdp.39015006867405}}</ref>
 | Most of Texas, eastern New Mexico, and northeastern Mexico<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Northeastern coyote'''<br/>''C. l. thamnos''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. thamnos.png|150 px]]
 | Jackson
 |1949
| [[File:Canis latrans PO.jpg|130px]]<br/>About the same size as {{nobr|''C. l. latrans''}}, or larger, but darker in color, it has a broader skull.<ref name="jackson1949">{{cite journal |author=Jackson, H.H.T. |year=1949 |title=Two new coyotes from the United States |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=62 |pages=31–32 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/110822#page/47/mode/1up}}</ref>
 | North-central [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]] (except the extreme southwestern corner), east to southern [[Quebec]], south to eastern [[North Dakota]], [[Minnesota]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]] (north of the Missouri River), [[Michigan]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Illinois]] (except the extreme southern portion), and northern [[Indiana]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Northwest Coast coyote'''<br/>''C. l. umpquensis''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. umpquensis.png|150 px]]
 | Jackson
 |1949
| [[File:Coyote by Rebecca Richardson.jpg|130px]]<br/>A small subspecies, it has dark, rufous-tinged fur, a comparatively small skull, and weak dentition.<ref name="jackson1949"/>
 | Coasts of [[British Columbia]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], and [[Oregon]]<ref name=range/>
 
|
|-
 | '''Colima coyote'''<br/>''C. l. vigilis''<br/>[[File:The Clever Coyote (1951) C. l. vigilis.png|150 px]]
 | [[Clinton Hart Merriam|Merriam]]
 |1897
| Similar to {{nobr|''C. l. peninsulae''}}, but darker and more extensively colored; it has more black on the forearms, and no black on the underside of the tail (excepting the tip).<ref name="merriam1897"/>
 | Pacific coast of Mexico from [[Jalisco]] south to [[Guerrero]]<ref name=range/>
|
|}

===Hybridization===
[[File:Black coyodog.jpg|thumb|Melanistic coyotes owe their color to a mutation that first arose in domestic dogs.<ref name=black/>]]
Coyotes occasionally mate with [[Dog|domestic dog]]s, sometimes producing crosses colloquially known as "[[coydog]]s".<ref name="young121">{{Harvnb|Young|Jackson|1978|pp=121–24}}</ref> Such matings are rare in the wild, as the mating cycles of dogs and coyotes do not coincide, and coyotes are usually antagonistic towards dogs. Hybridization usually only occurs when coyotes are expanding into areas where conspecifics are few, and dogs are the only alternatives. Even then, pup survival rates are lower than normal, as dogs do not form pair bonds with coyotes, thus making the rearing of pups more difficult.<ref name="cartaino61">{{Harvnb|Cartaino|2011|pp=61–3}}</ref> In captivity, [[F1 hybrid|F<sub>1</sub> hybrid]]s (first generation) tend to be more mischievous and less manageable as pups than dogs, and are less trustworthy on maturity than [[Wolfdog|wolf-dog hybrid]]s.<ref name="young121"/> 

Hybrids vary in appearance, but generally retain the coyote's [[#Description|usual characteristics]]. F<sub>1</sub> hybrids tend to be intermediate in form between dogs and coyotes, while F<sub>2</sub> hybrids (second generation) are more varied. Both F<sub>1</sub> and F<sub>2</sub> hybrids resemble their coyote parents in terms of shyness and intrasexual aggression.<ref name="fox105">{{Harvnb|Fox|1978|p=105}}</ref><ref name="fox136">{{Harvnb|Fox|1978|p=136}}</ref> Hybrids are fertile and can be successfully bred through four generations.<ref name="young121"/> [[Melanism|Melanistic]] coyotes owe their black pelts to a mutation that first arose in domestic dogs.<ref name="black">{{Cite journal | last1 = Anderson | first1 = T. M. | last2 = Vonholdt | first2 = B. M. | last3 = Candille | first3 = S. I. | last4 = Musiani | first4 = M. | last5 = Greco | first5 = C. | last6 = Stahler | first6 = D. R. | last7 = Smith | first7 = D. W. | last8 = Padhukasahasram | first8 = B. | last9 = Randi | first9 = E. | doi = 10.1126/science.1165448 | last10 = Leonard | first10 = J. A. | last11 = Bustamante | first11 = C. D. | last12 = Ostrander | first12 = E. A. | last13 = Tang | first13 = H. | last14 = Wayne | first14 = R. K. | last15 = Barsh | first15 = G. S. | title = Molecular and Evolutionary History of Melanism in North American Gray Wolves | journal = Science | volume = 323 | issue = 5919 | pages = 1339–1343 | year = 2009 | pmid =  19197024| pmc =2903542 |bibcode = 2009Sci...323.1339A|issn=1095-9203|oclc=34298537}}</ref> A population of non-albino white coyotes in Newfoundland owe their coloration to a [[melanocortin 1 receptor]] mutation inherited from [[Golden Retriever]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Zimmer|first=Carl|url=http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/21/snow-coyotes-and-spirit-bears/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130122152521/http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/01/21/snow-coyotes-and-spirit-bears/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 22, 2013|title=Snow Coyotes and Spirit Bears|magazine=National Geographic Magazine|date=January 21, 2013|access-date=July 1, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Westerncoywolf.png|thumb|A [[coywolf]] hybrid conceived in captivity between a male gray wolf and a female coyote]]

Coyotes have hybridized with wolves to varying degrees, particularly in eastern [[North America]]. The so-called "[[eastern coyote]]" of northeastern North America probably originated in the aftermath of the extermination of gray and eastern wolves in the northeast, thus allowing coyotes to colonize former wolf ranges and mix with the remnant wolf populations. This hybrid is smaller than either the gray or eastern wolf, and holds smaller territories, but is in turn larger and holds more extensive home ranges than the typical western coyote. {{as of|2010}}, the eastern coyote's genetic makeup is fairly uniform, with minimal influence from eastern wolves or western coyotes.<ref name="way2010">{{cite journal|doi=10.1656/045.017.0202 |jstor=40664873|author1=Way, J.G. |author2= Rutledge, L. |author3=Wheeldon, T. |author4=B.N. White|year=2010 |url=http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/downloads/GeneticsOfEasternCoywolfFinalInPrint.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107171635/http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/downloads/GeneticsOfEasternCoywolfFinalInPrint.pdf |archive-date=2011-01-07 |url-status=live |title=Genetic characterization of Eastern "Coyotes" in eastern Massachusetts|journal= Northeastern Naturalist |volume= 17|issue=2|pages= 189–204|s2cid=135542|issn=1938-5307|oclc=46381506}}</ref> 

Adult eastern coyotes are larger than western coyotes, with female eastern coyotes weighing 21% more than male western coyotes.<ref name="way2010"/><ref name="way2007">{{cite journal|doi=10.1656/1092-6194(2007)14[111:ACOBMO]2.0.CO;2 |author=Way, J. G. |year=2007|url=http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/downloads/BodyMassWay.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006084632/http://easterncoyoteresearch.com/downloads/BodyMassWay.PDF |archive-date=2008-10-06 |url-status=live |title=A comparison of body mass of ''Canis latrans'' (Coyotes) between eastern and western North America|journal=Northeastern Naturalist|volume= 14|issue=1|pages= 111–24|jstor=4499900|s2cid=85288738 |issn=1938-5307|oclc=46381506}}</ref> Physical differences become more apparent by the age of 35 days, with eastern coyote pups having longer legs than their western counterparts. Differences in dental development also occurs, with [[tooth eruption]] being later, and in a different order in the eastern coyote.<ref name="bekoff1978"/> Aside from its size, the eastern coyote is physically similar to the western coyote. The four color phases range from dark brown to blond or reddish blond, though the most common phase is gray-brown, with reddish legs, ears, and flanks.<ref name="hilton1978">{{cite book|last=Hilton|first=Henry|year=1978|chapter=Systematics and Ecology of the Eastern Coyote|pages=210–28|editor1-first=M. |editor1-last=Bekoff|title=Coyotes: Biology, Behavior, and Management |publisher=Academic Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-930665-42-2|oclc=52626838}}</ref> 

No significant differences exist between eastern and western coyotes in aggression and fighting, though eastern coyotes tend to fight less, and are more playful. Unlike western coyote pups, in which fighting precedes play behavior, fighting among eastern coyote pups occurs after the onset of play.<ref name="bekoff1978">{{cite book|last=Bekoff|first=M. |year=1978 |chapter=Behavioral Development in Coyotes and Eastern Coyotes|pages=97–127|title=Coyotes: Biology, Behavior, and Management|publisher=Academic Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-930665-42-2|oclc=52626838}}</ref> Eastern coyotes tend to reach [[sexual maturity]] at two years of age, much later than in western coyotes.<ref name="way2010"/>

Eastern and red wolves are also products of varying degrees of wolf-coyote hybridization. The eastern wolf probably was a result of a wolf-coyote admixture, combined with extensive [[backcrossing]] with parent gray wolf populations. The red wolf may have originated during a time of declining wolf populations in the [[Southeastern Woodlands]], forcing a wolf-coyote hybridization, as well as backcrossing with local parent coyote populations to the extent that about 75–80% of the modern red wolf's genome is of coyote derivation.<ref name=vonholdt2016/><ref name="genome">{{Cite journal 
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| last14 = Musiani | first14 = M. 
| last15 = Kays | first15 = R. 
| last16 = Bustamante | first16 = C. D. 
| last17 = Ostrander | first17 = E. A. 
| last18 = Novembre | first18 = J. 
| last19 = Wayne | first19 = R. K. 
| title = A genome-wide perspective on the evolutionary history of enigmatic wolf-like canids 
| journal = Genome Research 
| volume = 21 
| issue = 8 
| pages = 1294–1305 
| year = 2011 
| pmid = 21566151 
| pmc = 3149496 
| issn = 1549-5469
| oclc = 37589079
}}</ref>