What older designation sometimes treats the domestic dog as its own distinct species, separate from the gray wolf?
Answer
Canis familiaris
Taxonomic classification for domestic dogs involves a recognized duality depending on the scientific viewpoint utilized. One specific designation treats the domestic dog as a completely separate species, distinct from *Canis lupus*. This older perspective assigns the nomenclature *Canis familiaris*. This contrasts sharply with the modern, widely accepted view that classifies the dog as a subspecies of the gray wolf, emphasizing their direct evolutionary descent from common ancestral wolf populations.

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