A Surprising Idea About the Risks of Extinction
The tiny population of wolves on Isle Royale descended from a much larger group. What if that helped doom them?
Isle Royale is 200 square miles of land in the watery expanse of Lake Superior. One cold winter 70 years ago, wolves came over an ice bridge and settled into a largely isolated island existence. Unfortunately, island life has not been good for them.
, the number of wolves on Isle Royale declined from a peak of 50 to just two, a male and a female. As a result of inbreeding, they were half-siblings.
