Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions
Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about the effects of competitor presence or absence on morphological change in coyotes or wolves over long periods of time. We examined the evolution of coyotes and wolves through time...
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ftunivnebraskali:oai:digitalcommons.unl.edu:natlpark-1043 2023-11-12T04:15:41+01:00 Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions Meachen, Julie Samuels, Joshua 2011-01-01T08:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark/44 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natlpark/article/1043/viewcontent/Natl_Park_Svc___PNAS_2012_Meachen_4191_6.pdf unknown DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark/44 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natlpark/article/1043/viewcontent/Natl_Park_Svc___PNAS_2012_Meachen_4191_6.pdf U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers Environmental Sciences text 2011 ftunivnebraskali 2023-10-30T10:54:51Z Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about the effects of competitor presence or absence on morphological change in coyotes or wolves over long periods of time. We examined the evolution of coyotes and wolves through time from the late Pleistocene, during which many large carnivorous species coexisted as predators and competitors, to the Recent; this allowed us to investigate evolutionary changes in these species in response to climate change and megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. We measured postcranial skeletal morphologies of wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) from Pleistocene-aged tar deposits, as well as early, mid, and recent Holocene populations of both. We found few morphological differences between Pleistocene and Holocene wolf populations. Conversely, we found many differences in coyotes: Pleistocene coyotes were larger and more robust than Holocene populations. However, within 1,000 y of the megafaunal extinctions, coyotes are morphologically indistinguishable from modern populations. We cannot attribute these differences directly to climate change because modern coyotes do not follow Bergmann’s rule, which states body size increases with decreasing temperature. Instead, we suggest that Pleistocene coyotes may have been larger and more robust in response to larger competitors and a larger-bodied prey base. Although we cannot separate competition from predator-prey interactions, this study indicates that the effects of biotic interactions can be detected in the fossil record. Text Canis lupus University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln: DigitalCommons@UNL |
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Environmental Sciences |
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Environmental Sciences Meachen, Julie Samuels, Joshua Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
topic_facet |
Environmental Sciences |
description |
Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about the effects of competitor presence or absence on morphological change in coyotes or wolves over long periods of time. We examined the evolution of coyotes and wolves through time from the late Pleistocene, during which many large carnivorous species coexisted as predators and competitors, to the Recent; this allowed us to investigate evolutionary changes in these species in response to climate change and megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. We measured postcranial skeletal morphologies of wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (C. latrans) from Pleistocene-aged tar deposits, as well as early, mid, and recent Holocene populations of both. We found few morphological differences between Pleistocene and Holocene wolf populations. Conversely, we found many differences in coyotes: Pleistocene coyotes were larger and more robust than Holocene populations. However, within 1,000 y of the megafaunal extinctions, coyotes are morphologically indistinguishable from modern populations. We cannot attribute these differences directly to climate change because modern coyotes do not follow Bergmann’s rule, which states body size increases with decreasing temperature. Instead, we suggest that Pleistocene coyotes may have been larger and more robust in response to larger competitors and a larger-bodied prey base. Although we cannot separate competition from predator-prey interactions, this study indicates that the effects of biotic interactions can be detected in the fossil record. |
format |
Text |
author |
Meachen, Julie Samuels, Joshua |
author_facet |
Meachen, Julie Samuels, Joshua |
author_sort |
Meachen, Julie |
title |
Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
title_short |
Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
title_full |
Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
title_fullStr |
Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
title_sort |
evolution in coyotes (canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions |
publisher |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark/44 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natlpark/article/1043/viewcontent/Natl_Park_Svc___PNAS_2012_Meachen_4191_6.pdf |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark/44 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natlpark/article/1043/viewcontent/Natl_Park_Svc___PNAS_2012_Meachen_4191_6.pdf |
_version_ |
1782332961895481344 |