The gray wolf is the only species of Canis with a range encompassing both the Old and New Worlds.
Canis is a genus of canids containing multiple extant species , such as wolves , dogs and coyotes . Gray wolf . It is nonetheless closely related enough to smaller Canis species , such as the eastern wolf , coyote , and golden jackal to produce fertile hybrids . It is the only species of Canis to have a range encompassing both the Old and New Worlds , and originated in Eurasia during the Pleistocene , colonizing North America on at least three separate occasions during the Rancholabrean . The gray wolf is typically an apex predator throughout its range , with only humans and tigers posing a serious threat to it .