Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes
Abstract Prior to 1900, coyotes (Canis latrans) were restricted to the western and central regions of North America, but by the early 2000s, coyotes became ubiquitous throughout the eastern United States. Information regarding morphological and genetic structure of coyote populations in the southeas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2019-03-01
|
| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4966 |
| _version_ | 1819064602087915520 |
|---|---|
| author | Joseph W. Hinton Elizabeth Heppenheimer Kyla M. West Danny Caudill Melissa L. Karlin John C. Kilgo John Joseph Mayer Karl V. Miller Margaret Walch Bridgett vonHoldt Michael J. Chamberlain |
| author_facet | Joseph W. Hinton Elizabeth Heppenheimer Kyla M. West Danny Caudill Melissa L. Karlin John C. Kilgo John Joseph Mayer Karl V. Miller Margaret Walch Bridgett vonHoldt Michael J. Chamberlain |
| author_sort | Joseph W. Hinton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Prior to 1900, coyotes (Canis latrans) were restricted to the western and central regions of North America, but by the early 2000s, coyotes became ubiquitous throughout the eastern United States. Information regarding morphological and genetic structure of coyote populations in the southeastern United States is limited, and where data exist, they are rarely compared to those from other regions of North America. We assessed geographic patterns in morphology and genetics of coyotes with special consideration of coyotes in the southeastern United States. Mean body mass of coyote populations increased along a west‐to‐east gradient, with southeastern coyotes being intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes. Similarly, principal component analysis of body mass and linear body measurements suggested that southeastern coyotes were intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes in body size but exhibited shorter tails and ears from other populations. Genetic analyses indicated that southeastern coyotes represented a distinct genetic cluster that differentiated strongly from western and northeastern coyotes. We postulate that southeastern coyotes experienced lower immigration from western populations than did northeastern coyotes, and over time, genetically diverged from both western and northeastern populations. Coyotes colonizing eastern North America experienced different selective pressures than did stable populations in the core range, and we offer that the larger body size of eastern coyotes reflects an adaptation that improved dispersal capabilities of individuals in the expanding range. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:33:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-375afee56a104a8493df75db3282d846 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:33:10Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-375afee56a104a8493df75db3282d8462022-12-21T18:58:42ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-03-01963389340410.1002/ece3.4966Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotesJoseph W. Hinton0Elizabeth Heppenheimer1Kyla M. West2Danny Caudill3Melissa L. Karlin4John C. Kilgo5John Joseph Mayer6Karl V. Miller7Margaret Walch8Bridgett vonHoldt9Michael J. Chamberlain10Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GeorgiaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New JerseyTacoma WashingtonFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Gainesville FloridaDepartment of Physics and Environmental Sciences St. Mary's University San Antonio TexasUnited States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station New Ellenton South CarolinaUnited States Department of Energy, Environmental Sciences, and Biotechnology Savannah River National Laboratory Aiken South CarolinaWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GeorgiaWestern Biological LLC Elko NevadaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New JerseyWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens GeorgiaAbstract Prior to 1900, coyotes (Canis latrans) were restricted to the western and central regions of North America, but by the early 2000s, coyotes became ubiquitous throughout the eastern United States. Information regarding morphological and genetic structure of coyote populations in the southeastern United States is limited, and where data exist, they are rarely compared to those from other regions of North America. We assessed geographic patterns in morphology and genetics of coyotes with special consideration of coyotes in the southeastern United States. Mean body mass of coyote populations increased along a west‐to‐east gradient, with southeastern coyotes being intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes. Similarly, principal component analysis of body mass and linear body measurements suggested that southeastern coyotes were intermediate to western and northeastern coyotes in body size but exhibited shorter tails and ears from other populations. Genetic analyses indicated that southeastern coyotes represented a distinct genetic cluster that differentiated strongly from western and northeastern coyotes. We postulate that southeastern coyotes experienced lower immigration from western populations than did northeastern coyotes, and over time, genetically diverged from both western and northeastern populations. Coyotes colonizing eastern North America experienced different selective pressures than did stable populations in the core range, and we offer that the larger body size of eastern coyotes reflects an adaptation that improved dispersal capabilities of individuals in the expanding range.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4966Canis latranscolonizationcoyotedispersalgeneticsgeographic variation |
| spellingShingle | Joseph W. Hinton Elizabeth Heppenheimer Kyla M. West Danny Caudill Melissa L. Karlin John C. Kilgo John Joseph Mayer Karl V. Miller Margaret Walch Bridgett vonHoldt Michael J. Chamberlain Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes Ecology and Evolution Canis latrans colonization coyote dispersal genetics geographic variation |
| title | Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| title_full | Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| title_fullStr | Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| title_short | Geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| title_sort | geographic patterns in morphometric and genetic variation for coyote populations with emphasis on southeastern coyotes |
| topic | Canis latrans colonization coyote dispersal genetics geographic variation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4966 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josephwhinton geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT elizabethheppenheimer geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT kylamwest geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT dannycaudill geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT melissalkarlin geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT johnckilgo geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT johnjosephmayer geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT karlvmiller geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT margaretwalch geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT bridgettvonholdt geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes AT michaeljchamberlain geographicpatternsinmorphometricandgeneticvariationforcoyotepopulationswithemphasisonsoutheasterncoyotes |