Eumetazoa

The golden jackal (Canis aureus), also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal,gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe (up to Austria and Hungary), Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia. It is classed by the IUCN as Least Concern, due to its widespread range in areas with optimum food and shelter. Despite its name, the golden jackal is not closely related to other jackal species, with morphological and molecular studies indicating a greater affinity to the grey wolf and coyote. It is a social species, whose basic social unit consists of a breeding pair, followed by its offspring. The golden jackal is highly adaptable, being able to exploit many foodstuffs, from fruit and insects to small ungulates.

Unlike other jackal species, which are African in origin, the golden jackal likely emerged from Asia. The direct ancestor of the golden jackal is thought to be Canis kuruksaensis, a Villafranchian (from late Pliocene to early Pleistocene) canid native to Tadjikistan. Another prehistoric canid initially thought to be an ancestral jackal, Canis arnensis, which was native to Europe, was later classed as more closely related to the coyote. The golden jackal likely colonised the European continent during the late Pleistocene.