DINGOES AREN’T DOGS

DINGOES might look like regular mutts, but in fact they’re genetically in between wolves and dogs, according to a new study in Science Advances.

The species – revered in Aboriginal culture but the bane of modern farmers – has been Australia’s top predator since the extinction of Tasmanian tigers last century.

However, “the evolutionary position of the dingo has been debated for a substantial period of time,” co-author Bill Ballard of La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne said.

Some hold the lean, tancoloured canines, brought to the continent 5000 to 8500 years ago, are simply another form of pooch, though one which is far harder to tame.

The new research found the dingo’s genome was structurally distinct from dogs, although closer to the family pet than a wolf.