Systematic status of the extinct Japanese wolf, Canis hodophilax

2. Similarity relationship of hodophilax among the species of the genus Canis

Abstract

Similarity relationships of Canis hodophilax TEMMINCK, 1839, among 20 species and subspecies of the genus Canis were investigated based on appearance ratios of 30 cranial characters (Table 1) . The result was that hodophilax may not be a subspecies of lupus against to opinions of the most of modern authors but a distinct species well differentiated from any other forms of the genus (Fig. 1) . Emarginated anterior border of mesopterygoid fossa, great distance between jugal and glenoid fossa, distinctly internal lachrymal formen and frequently divided anterior opening of alisphenoid canal are characters rather common to this species but rarely found in the other forms of the genus.