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Lonewolf:Thebeastthatshouldn'thavebeen14May2013byChristopherKempMagazineissue2916.SubscribeandsaveForsimilarstories,visittheEndangeredSpeciesTopicGuideHowdidauniqueandnowextinctwolf-likecreaturecometomakeitshomeintheFalklandIslands?NewDNAevidencebacksanunlikelyexplanationSeemoremammalconundrumsinourgallery:Remotehomes:FivemammalsinmysteriousisolationITISnotoftenthatwecanpinpointtheexactspotwhereaspecieswentextinct,butShallowBayontheremotenorthcoastofWestFalklandissuchaplace.There,in1876,averypeculiaranimal–thelastofitskind–wasmercilesslyslain.Chancesareitwasquick.Thecreatureswereknowntobeunafraidandeasytokill.Andso,asCharlesDarwinhimselfhadpredicted,theFalklandIslandswolfwentthewayofthedodo.Ithadn'ttakenlong.Halfacenturyearlier,theislandswerelargelyuninhabitedandthewolfwasabundant.Thenpeoplebegantoarrive–shepherdsfromScotlandandgauchosfromArgentina.Theydidnottakekindlytohavingavoraciouspredatorintheirmidst.WhenfurtrappersarrivedfromAmerica,itwasonlyamatteroftime.In1914,taxonomistOldfieldThomasoftheNaturalHistoryMuseuminLondondealtthewolfafinal,posthumousinsultbynamingitDusicyonaustralis:foolishdogofthesouth.Andthatmighthavebeenthat,exceptforthefactthatthewolfpresentedabiologicalmysteryparexcellence.TheFalklandsare500kilometresoffthecoastofPatagoniaandthewolfwastheironlynativelandmammal.Howdiditgetthere?EvenDarwinwasbaffled.Finally,morethan300yearsafterthewolfwasfirstdescribed,thatmysteryappearstobesolved.Fromabove,theFalklandsresembleabrightgreeninkblot.Therearetwomainislandssurroundedbyalmost800smallerones,littlecommasandelbowsoflandscatteredacrosstheturbulentSouthAtlantic.ThearchipelagoisasfarsouthoftheequatorastheBritishIslesarenorth,buthasamuchcolderclimate.Althoughjustdotsonthemap,theFalklandshavebeenengulfedbypoliticalandmilitaryturmoilforcenturies.HistoricallyruledbybothFranceandSpain,theislandsarenowadministeredbytheUKbutclaimedbyArgentina.In1982,thetwocountriesfoughtabriefwaroverthem.TheBritishwon,buttheArgentinesstillassertownershipoverwhattheycalltheIslasMalvinas.Anothershowdownlooms.Howfitting,then,thattheislands'eponymouspredatorhasitselfbeenthesubjectofalong-runningdispute.Thefirstrecordedsightingwasmadein1690bythecrewofaBritishship,theWelfare,whichlandedontheislandsafterbeingblownoffcourseenroutetoSouthAmerica(thecaptainnamedthesoundbetweenthemainislandsFalklandChannelinhonourofafunderofhisexpedition).Theanimalwasstocky,russet-colouredandaboutthesizeofaLabrador.Itsskullwasbroad,itssnoutslenderandelegant.Ithadathickwoollycoatandawhite-tipped,brush-liketail.Inmostrespectsitresembledalarge,muscularfox,albeitonethatatepenguins,geeseandseals.In1764,LouisAntoinedeBougainvilleclaimedtheislandsforFrance.Hewasunsureexactlywhatkindofdogitwas,sohehedgedhisbetsbycallingitloup-renard,orwolf-fox.FearlesscreaturesAlmost40yearsbeforethelastonewaskilled,DarwinvisitedtheislandsaboardtheHMSBeagleandobservedthewolfforhimself.HeknewitasCanisantarcticus,theAntarcticwolf,anamegivenitin1792byLinnaeus'stranslatorRobertKerr.Islanderssimplycalleditthewarrah,abastardisationofaguara,whichmeansfoxintheSouthAmericanlanguageGuarani.The20th-centurynamechangewasmadetobetterreflectitstaxonomicrelationshiptoothercanidspecies.Withnonaturalenemies,thewolveswereunafraidofhumans.ThecrewoftheWelfareeasilycapturedoneandkeptitaboardformonthsuntilitjumpedoverboardintheSouthSeas,reportedlystartledbythefiringofacannon.In1765,RoyalNavyofficerJohnByronlandedontheislandsand,unawarethattheFrenchwerealreadythere,claimedthemforKingGeorgeIIIofGreatBritain.Hemistakenlydescribedthewolvesascreaturesofgreatfiercenessthatwouldruntowardshismenwhenevertheyencounteredthem.Becauseoftheirfearlessnessthewolveswereregardedasvermin.InTheVoyageoftheBeagle,Darwinwrote:Theyhavebeenobservedtoenteratent,andactuallypullsomemeatfrombeneaththeheadofasleepingseaman.TheGauchosalsohavefrequentlyintheeveningkilledthem,byholdingoutapieceofmeatinonehand,andintheotheraknifereadytostickthem.Darwinseemedtobetheonlypersonwhounderstoodtheimplicationsofthisbloodyrelationship.Withinaveryfewyearsaftertheseislandsshallhavebecomeregularlysettled,inallprobabilitythisfoxwillbeclassedwiththedodo,hewrote.Hehimselfcontributedtothewolf'sdeclinebybringingfourspecimensbacktoEngland.Duringthiseraofexploration,thediscoveryofanewcanidspecieswasnotinitselfremarkable.Theyhadturnedupalmosteverywhereelse,fromtheArctictotheSahara.ButtheFalklandsweredifferent.Isolatedandremote,theybelongedtoocean-goingspeciessuchaspenguins,albatrossesandseals.Untilcolonistsarrivedtherewerenolandmammalswhatsoever–exceptforthewolf.TheanomalywasnotlostonDarwin.AsfarasIamaware,hewrote,thereisnootherinstanceinanypartoftheworld,ofsosmallamassofbrokenland,distantfromacontinent,possessingsolargeaquadrupedpeculiartoitself.Itwasaprettybigevolutionarymystery,saysAlanCooper,directoroftheAustralianCentreforAncientDNAattheUniversityofAdelaide.Ifothermammalshadlivedontheislands,suchasrodents–ofwhichSouthAmericahasmanydifferentspecies–thenwemighthavepresumedthattherewasoncealinktothemainland:eithersomesortoflandbridgenowsubmerged