Life History and Ecology of Coyotes in the Mid-Atlantic States: A Summary of the Scientific Literature

Mastro, Lauren L.

doi:10.1656/058.010.0411

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…While the northern and southern expansion fronts are distinct ecoregions (Omernik & Griffith, 2014), environmental similarities between the regions do exist, most notably in the high abundance of deer. However, diet studies reveal that deer consumption varies widely among eastern coyote populations (Kilgo, Ray, Ruth, & Miller, 2010;Mastro, 2011;Robinson, Diefenbach, Fuller, Hurst, & Rosenberry, 2014) and that deer consumption is also reasonably common throughout the historical range (Ballard, Lutz, Keegan, Carpenter, & deVos Jr, 2001;Carrera et al, 2008;Gese & Grothe, 1995). As such, selection associated with the range expansion process is perhaps more likely than adaptation to deer rich environments, though the possibility remains that outlier SNP frequencies are driven by selection associated with unmeasured environmental variables rather than by range expansion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote (Canis latrans) populations

Heppenheimer

Brzeski

Hinton

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Range expansion is a widespread biological process, with well‐described theoretical expectations associated with the colonization of novel ranges. However, comparatively few empirical studies address the genomic outcomes accompanying the genome‐wide consequences associated with the range expansion process, particularly in recent or ongoing expansions. Here, we assess two recent and distinct eastward expansion fronts of a highly mobile carnivore, the coyote (Canis latrans), to investigate patterns of genomic diversity and identify variants that may have been under selection during range expansion. Using a restriction‐associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), we genotyped 394 coyotes at 22,935 SNPs and found that overall population structure corresponded to their 19th century historical range and two distinct populations that expanded during the 20th century. Counter to theoretical expectations for populations to bottleneck during range expansions, we observed minimal evidence for decreased genomic diversity across coyotes sampled along either expansion front, which is likely due to hybridization with other Canis species. Furthermore, we identified 12 SNPs, located either within genes or putative regulatory regions, that were consistently associated with range expansion. Of these 12 genes, three (CACNA1C, ALK, and EPHA6) have putative functions related to dispersal, including habituation to novel environments and spatial learning, consistent with the expectations for traits under selection during range expansion. Although coyote colonization of eastern North America is well‐publicized, this study provides novel insights by identifying genes associated with dispersal capabilities in coyotes on the two eastern expansion fronts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote (Canis latrans) populations

Heppenheimer

Brzeski

Hinton

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…For example, if the expansion front is subject to even a modest rate of gene flow from the source population as a result of long distance dispersal, genetic diversity at the periphery could be maintained (e.g., Alleaume-Benharira et al 2006;Berthouly-Salazar et al 2013). Coyotes are known to be highly mobile, with male and female coyotes observed to disperse up to 102.5 km from their natal range, likely playing an important role in the maintenance of genetic diversity (Harrison 1992;Mastro 2011;Hinton et al 2012Hinton et al , 2015.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic history influences spatial patterns of genetic diversityin recently expanded coyote (Canis latrans) populations

et al. 2017

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Human-mediated range expansions have increased in recent decades and represent unique opportunities to evaluate genetic outcomes of establishing peripheral populations across broad expansion fronts. Over the past century, coyotes (Canis latrans) have undergone a pervasive range expansion and now inhabit every state in the continental United States. Coyote expansion into eastern North America was facilitated by anthropogenic landscape changes and followed two broad expansion fronts. The northern expansion extended through the Great Lakes region and southern Canada, where hybridization with remnant wolf populations was common. The southern and more recent expansion front occurred approximately 40 years later and across territory where gray wolves have been historically absent and remnant red wolves were extirpated in the 1970s. We conducted a genetic survey at 10 microsatellite loci of 482 coyotes originating from 11 eastern U.S. states to address how divergent demographic histories influence geographic patterns of genetic diversity. We found that population structure corresponded to a north-south divide, which is consistent with the two known expansion routes. Additionally, we observed extremely high genetic diversity, which is atypical of recently expanded populations and is likely the result of multiple complex demographic processes, in addition to hybridization with other Canis species. Finally, we considered the transition of allele frequencies across geographic space and suggest the mid-Atlantic states of North Carolina and Virginia as an emerging contact zone between these two distinct coyote expansion fronts.

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“…The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reported an increase in the number of Coyote pelts sold from 1989 to 2017, but no other demographic information on Coyote populations in the state is currently available (R. Rogers, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Romney, WV, 2017 per comm.). Information on eastern Coyote home ranges and habitat use in the central Appalachians is also limited (Crimmins et al 2012, Mastro 2011, Morin and Kelly 2017. We used telemetry data from 8 radio-collared Coyotes monitored across 16 counties to obtain preliminary baseline information on Coyote home-range size and third-order habitat selection in West Virginia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Home Range and Habitat Use of West Virginia Canis latrans (Coyote)

Mastro

Morin

Gese

2019

Northeastern Naturalist

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Canis latrans (Coyote) has undergone a range expansion in the United States over the last century. As a highly opportunistic species, its home range and habitat use changes with ecological context. Coyotes were first reported in West Virginia in 1950 but were not commonly observed until the 1990s, and there is scant information on Coyotes in the region. We used telemetry data from 8 radiocollared Coyotes in West Virginia to estimate home-range size and third-order habitat selection. Home-range areas (95% utilization distributions; UDs) varied from 5.22 to 27.79 km 2 (mean = 12.48 ± 2.61 km 2), with highly concentrated use of smaller core areas (mean 50% UD = 1.85 ± 0.34 km 2), indicated by low flatness ratios (50% isopleths/95% isopleths varied from 0.11 to 0.20). Third-order habitat selection revealed most use was proportional to availability, although there was evidence of avoidance of disturbed /developed and riparian land cover at the 95% UD scale, and selection for softwood stands at both spatial scales when available. Our results provide preliminary space-use information for West Virginia Coyotes and suggest that although Coyotes are habitat generalists, space use in the region is not uniform, but instead concentrated in disjointed areas that are used intensively.

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Life History and Ecology of Coyotes in the Mid-Atlantic States: A Summary of the Scientific Literature

Cited by 12 publications

References 27 publications

High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote (Canis latrans) populations

High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote (Canis latrans) populations

Demographic history influences spatial patterns of genetic diversityin recently expanded coyote (Canis latrans) populations

Home Range and Habitat Use of West Virginia Canis latrans (Coyote)

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