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he dingo has been definitively classified as a distinct Australian animal thanks to new research led by the University of Sydney.

The research, which sheds new light on the defining physical characteristics of the dingo, also resurrects the species name Canis dingo, first published by German naturalist Friedrich Meyer in 1793.

The findings have just been published in the Journal of Zoology. Researchers from the University of NSW and University of Western Sydney also participated in the research.

The confusion over whether or not the dingo is a distinct species partly originates from the scientific classification of the Australian dingo, which was based on a simple drawing and description in the journal of Australia's first governor, Arthur Phillip, without reference to a physical specimen.

To find a specimen of a dingo unlikely to have cross-bred with domestic dogs, the researchers searched museum collections in Europe, Australia and America that contained specimens known or likely to pre-date 1900, including those from archaeological sites.

"Examining the 69 skull specimens and six skin specimens made available has enabled us to create a benchmark description of the dingo. Now any wild canid - dingo, dog, or hybrid of the two - can be judged against that classification," said Dr Mathew Crowther, lead author of the study from the University of Sydney's School of Biological Sciences.

"We can also conclusively say that the dingo is a distinctive Australian wild canid or member of the dog family in its own right, separate from...