Zootaxa 4317 (2): 201–224 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3CD420BC-2AED-4166-85F9-CCA0E4403271 The Wayward Dog: Is the Australian native dog or Dingo a distinct species? STEPHEN M. JACKSON1,2,3,9, COLIN P. GROVES4, PETER J.S. FLEMING5,6, KEN P. APLIN3, MARK D.B. ELDRIDGE7, ANTONIO GONZALEZ4 & KRISTOFER M. HELGEN8 1Animal Biosecurity & Food Safety, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia. 2School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052. 3Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA. E-mail:
[email protected] 4School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. E:
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[email protected] 5Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Biosecurity NSW, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia. E-mail:
[email protected] 6 School of Environmental & Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. 7Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St. Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia. E-mail:
[email protected] 8School of Biological Sciences, Environment Institute, and ARC (Australian Research Council) Centre for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. E-mail:
[email protected] 9Corresponding author. E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792.