[spunkets]

"but they are nearly everywhere"

I don't know enough about this. However foxes are not everywhere, nor were they. Man spread them around. Seems the Europeans liked to hunt them.

"Now, scientist put the breaking off of vulpines at only 10 million or so years ago. That may seem like a long time but consider what had to happen during that time, there had to be (in the lineage of the fox) 22 successful fusions (or the equivalent). No problem? Well, yes a big problem (even for a question of micro-evolution).

Problems have solutions. Start here.

[Rurudyne]

"I don't know enough about this. However foxes are not everywhere, nor were they. Man spread them around. Seems the Europeans liked to hunt them. "

Various breeds of fox are native to all continents except Australia and Antarctica and (maybe, not sure) South America. Granted, that's not "everywhere" but it is everywhere that wolves are native (plus Africa).

"Problems have solutions. Start here."

So it would seem that 26 fusions and 4 fissions have taken place, hmmmm. Interesting for future reference. Still, that actually complicates things a bit for the poor would-be fox. Also, this should, in theory, increase the chance of other taxonomically "canid" species (given the habitat range they achieved on their own).

Still, the study you cite does seem to indicate that the basic order of genes within the chromosomes isn't all that different between vulpines and canines (though certainly over the edge where fertility is concerned) or else they wouldn't want to use the former to compare to the latter.