The first dog-fox hybrid ever discovered is as strange as it is fascinating

Nature gives us surprises that are sometimes difficult to explain. More than 6 million years of evolution separate the foxes and dogs we see today. However, a few years ago, an unprecedented phenomenon was discovered in science: Brazilian scientists discovered the first cross between the two.

This is the first cross between a dog and a fox discovered in the wild

Named Dogxim, the acronym comes precisely from its origin: dog (in English, “dog”) and graxaim do campo (pampas fox in Portuguese). Its discovery was a matter of fate. It was hit by a vehicle and quickly taken to a shelter, where they discovered that its appearance was anything but ordinary.

Two Brazilian scientists, Thales Renato and Rafael Kretschmer, analyzed his DNA and confirmed they were dealing with something unique. While a pampas fox and a domestic dog have 74 and 78 chromosomes, respectively, Dogxim had 76, a number somewhere in between. There is no doubt that he was the product of a relationship between the two partners.

Unfortunately, he died a few months after being born from unknown causes. Scientists suggest that these types of crosses are often prone to genetic alterations that cause them to contract diseases. Since then, nothing more has been heard about the hypothetical litter that could have emerged from that relationship.

Her appearance was unique. The shape of her face and the type of fur already made you think we were dealing with something different. Her elongated snout and slender neck made her look like a fox, but her behavior was nonetheless that of a domestic dog. She was a female. Scientists were left wondering whether she was sterile or not, to determine if the crossbreed would survive a hypothetical offspring.

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