▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁hy brid ▁animal ▁was ▁aff lic ted ▁with ▁sar co ptic ▁man ge , ▁which ▁would ▁explain ▁its ▁hair less ▁and ▁blue ish ▁appearance . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁that ▁analyz ed ▁w olf ▁populations ▁sus pected ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁past ▁interactions ▁with ▁domestic ▁dogs ▁found ▁no ▁evidence ▁of ▁significant ▁dog ▁ad mi xture ▁into ▁the ▁Mexican ▁w olf . ▁Another ▁study ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁PL OS ▁Gen et ics ▁Journal ▁which ▁analyz ed ▁the ▁population ▁genom ics ▁of ▁gray ▁wol ves ▁and ▁co y otes ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁North ▁America . ▁This ▁study ▁detected ▁the ▁pres ences ▁of ▁co y ote ▁ad mi xt ures ▁in ▁various ▁western ▁gray ▁w olf ▁populations , ▁all ▁previously ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁free ▁of ▁co y ote - intro gression , ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁Mexican ▁wol ves ▁carry ▁ 1 0 % ▁co y ote ▁ad mi xture . ▁The ▁study ' s ▁author ▁also ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁ad mi xture ▁from ▁co y otes ▁may ▁have ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁bas al ▁ph y log en etic ▁pla cement ▁of ▁this ▁sub species . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁Early ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁included ▁sout he astern ▁Arizona , ▁south western ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁sometimes ▁western ▁Texas , ▁USA ▁and ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Mad re ▁Occ ident al , ▁Mexico . ▁This ▁past ▁distribution ▁is ▁supported ▁by ▁e colog ical , ▁morph ological ,