scholarly journals Size of the lower carnassial in the arctic and the red fox from Late Pleistocene in Belgium compared to other ancient and extant populations

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elwira Szuma ◽  
Mietje Germonpré
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Fox ◽  
Large Carnivores ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Specific Composition ◽  
Food Niche

AbstractLengths, widths, and size proportions (length to width) of the lower carnassial were measured in 45 teeth of the arctic fox and 35 teeth of the red fox from Belgium radiocarbon dated to 46 640–14 120 ka BP. Data the Late Pleistocene foxes from Belgium were compared to 20 ancient and extant populations form Europe, Asia, and North America. The Pleistocene arctic fox from Belgium showed larger carnassial than in all recent samples of this species, whereas the Belgian fossil red foxes were characterized by the carnassial size comparable to that of the recent Siberian red foxes. Both fox species from the Pleistocene of Belgium showed the highest index of the carnassials length to width, which means increase in carnivorous adaptation. We conclude that the higher level of carnivorous specialization reached by the Belgian arctic and red foxes at the end of the Late Pleistocene reflected their scavenging on kills of large carnivores and human hunters (remains of megafauna). Harsh environmental conditions of that period and specific composition of ecosystems led to adapting to a more carnivorous food niche in both foxes.

scholarly journals AMY2B Gene Copy-Number Variation Studied by Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) in Three Canids: Red Fox, Arctic Fox, and Chinese Raccoon Dog

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-55
Author(s):  
Michal Antkowiak ◽  
Joanna Nowacka-Woszuk ◽  
Izabela Szczerbal ◽  
Marek Switonski ◽  
Maciej Szydlowski
Keyword(s):  
Copy Number Variation ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Digital Pcr ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Raccoon Dog ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Arctic Foxes ◽  
Number Variation ◽  
Raccoon Dogs

Copy-number variation (CNV) is an important source of genetic variation, and one that played a role in the process of domestication. The adaptation to a new diet is a characteristic feature of dog domestication. We therefore sought genomic signatures of this process. The pancreatic alpha-amylase gene (AMY2B), expressed in the pancreas, exhibits a variable number of copies. It has been shown that the multiplication of this gene is associated with the adaptation of dogs to a starch-rich diet. To date, there has been no information made available on the copy-number variation of AMY2B in canid farm animals. The aim of the present study was to examine the AMY2B copy number in the red fox, the arctic fox, and in the Chinese raccoon dog. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was used to count the gene copies in 152 animals (60 red foxes, 53 arctic foxes, and 39 Chinese raccoon dogs). We found that the majority (91%) of the animals had two copies of this gene. Of the red foxes and Chinese raccoon dogs, only 8% had three copies, while 32% of the arctic foxes had three copies. Our study showed that the multiplication of the AMY2B gene did not occur over several decades of breeding selection, which may reflect the low-starch feeding regime.

Food-niche overlap between arctic and red foxes

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 1274-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bodil Elmhagen ◽  
Magnus Tannerfeldt ◽  
Anders Angerbjörn
Keyword(s):  
Red Fox ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Alopex Lagopus ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Mountain Tundra ◽  
Arctic Foxes ◽  
Food Niches ◽  
Food Niche

Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in Fennoscandia have retreated to higher altitudes on the mountain tundra, possibly because of increased competition with red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at lower altitudes. In this study we compare summer food niches of the two species in mountain tundra habitat. Arctic foxes consumed lemmings more often than red foxes did, while red foxes consumed field voles and birds more often. Yet despite substantial variation in the diet of each species among summers, food-niche overlaps between the species were consistently high in most summers, as arctic and red foxes responded similarly to temporal changes in prey availability. Occurrences of field voles and birds in fox scats were negatively correlated with altitude, while the occurrences of lemmings tended to increase with altitude. Since arctic foxes bred at higher altitudes than red foxes, the differences between arctic and red fox diets were better explained by altitudinal segregation than by differences between their fundamental food niches. Arctic foxes should therefore endeavour to use the more productive hunting grounds at the lower altitudes of their former range, but interference competition with red foxes might decrease their access to these areas, and consequently cause a decrease in the size of in their realised niche.

scholarly journals Sequencing Red Fox Y Chromosome Fragments to Develop Phylogenetically Informative SNP Markers and Glimpse Male-Specific Trans-Pacific Phylogeography

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Benjamin N. Sacks ◽  
Zachary T. Lounsberry ◽  
Halie M. Rando ◽  
Kristopher Kluepfel ◽  
Steven R. Fain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Snp Markers ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Target Capture ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Chromosome Fragments

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has a wide global distribution with many ecotypes and has been bred in captivity for various traits, making it a useful evolutionary model system. The Y chromosome represents one of the most informative markers of phylogeography, yet it has not been well-studied in the red fox due to a lack of the necessary genomic resources. We used a target capture approach to sequence a portion of the red fox Y chromosome in a geographically diverse red fox sample, along with other canid species, to develop single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, 13 of which we validated for use in subsequent studies. Phylogenetic analyses of the Y chromosome sequences, including calibration to outgroups, confirmed previous estimates of the timing of two intercontinental exchanges of red foxes, the initial colonization of North America from Eurasia approximately half a million years ago and a subsequent continental exchange before the last Pleistocene glaciation (~100,000 years ago). However, in contrast to mtDNA, which showed unidirectional transfer from Eurasia to North America prior to the last glaciation, the Y chromosome appears to have been transferred from North America to Eurasia during this period. Additional sampling is needed to confirm this pattern and to further clarify red fox Y chromosome phylogeography.

scholarly journals Dynamics and persistence of rabies in the Arctic

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Simon ◽  
Olivia Tardy ◽  
Amy Hurford ◽  
Nicolas Lecomte ◽  
Denise Bélanger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Infectious Period ◽  
Arctic Fox ◽  
Red Foxes

Rabies is a major issue for human and animal health in the Arctic, yet little is known about its epidemiology. In particular, there is an ongoing debate regarding how Arctic rabies persists in its primary reservoir host, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), which exists in the ecosystem at very low population densities. To shed light on the mechanisms of rabies persistence in the Arctic, we built a susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered (SEIR) epidemiological model of rabies virus transmission in an Arctic fox population interacting with red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), a rabies host that is increasingly present in the Arctic. The model suggests that rabies cannot be maintained in resource-poor areas of the Arctic, characterized by low Arctic fox density, even in the presence of continuous reintroduction of the virus by infected Arctic foxes from neighbouring regions. However, in populations of relatively high Arctic fox density, rabies persists under conditions of higher transmission rate, prolonged infectious period and for a broad range of incubation periods. Introducing the strong cyclical dynamics of Arctic prey availability makes simulated rabies outbreaks less regular but more intense, with an onset that does not neatly track peaks in Arctic fox density. Finally, interaction between Arctic and red foxes increases the frequency and/or the intensity of rabies outbreaks in the Arctic fox population. Our work suggests that disruption of prey cycles and increasing interactions between Arctic and red foxes due to climate change and northern development may significantly change the epidemiology of rabies across the Arctic.

Modelling the spatial population dynamics of arctic foxes: the effects of red foxes and microtine cycles

2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (12) ◽  
pp. 1170-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D.F. Shirley ◽  
Bodil Elmhagen ◽  
Peter W.W. Lurz ◽  
Steve P. Rushton ◽  
Anders Angerbjörn
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Arctic Fox ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Microtine Rodents ◽  
Arctic Foxes

The Fennoscandian arctic fox ( Vulpes lagopus (L., 1758)) population is critically endangered, possibly because of increased interference competition from red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes (L., 1758)) and fading cycles in microtine rodents, which cause food shortage. It is not known how these factors drive arctic fox population trends. To test their role in arctic fox decline, we developed a spatially explicit and individual-based model that allowed us to simulate fox interactions and food availability in a real landscape. A sensitivity analysis revealed that simulated arctic fox population size and den occupancy were strongly correlated with fecundity and mortality during the microtine crash phase, but also with red fox status. Model simulations suggested that arctic fox population trends depended on microtine cycles and that arctic fox distributions were restricted by red fox presence. We compared the model predictions with field data collected at Vindelfjällen, Sweden. The model recreated the observed arctic fox trend only with the inclusion of arctic fox avoidance of red fox home ranges. The results indicate that avoidance behaviours can affect population trends and hence that relatively small numbers of red foxes can have a strong negative impact on arctic fox population size and distribution.

scholarly journals Relationships between fox populations and rabies virus spread in northern Canada

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246508
Author(s):  
Susan A. Nadin-Davis ◽  
Emilie Falardeau ◽  
Alex Flynn ◽  
Hugh Whitney ◽  
H. Dawn Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Control Region ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Population Substructure ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Northern Canada ◽  
Arctic Foxes ◽  
Northern Alaska

Rabies spreads in both Arctic (Vulpes lagopus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) throughout the Canadian Arctic but limited wildlife disease surveillance, due to the extensive landmass of the Canadian north and its small widely scattered human population, undermines our knowledge of disease transmission patterns. This study has explored genetic population structure in both the rabies virus and its fox hosts to better understand factors that impact rabies spread. Phylogenetic analysis of 278 samples of the Arctic lineage of rabies virus recovered over 40 years identified four sub-lineages, A1 to A4. The A1 lineage has been restricted to southern regions of the Canadian province of Ontario. The A2 lineage, which predominates in Siberia, has also spread to northern Alaska while the A4 lineage was recovered from southern Alaska only. The A3 sub-lineage, which was also found in northern Alaska, has been responsible for virtually all cases across northern Canada and Greenland, where it further differentiated into 18 groups which have systematically evolved from a common predecessor since 1975. In areas of Arctic and red fox sympatry, viral groups appear to circulate in both hosts, but both mitochondrial DNA control region sequences and 9-locus microsatellite genotypes revealed contrasting phylogeographic patterns for the two fox species. Among 157 Arctic foxes, 33 mitochondrial control region haplotypes were identified but little genetic structure differentiating localities was detected. Among 162 red foxes, 18 control region haplotypes delineated three groups which discriminated among the Churchill region of Manitoba, northern Quebec and Labrador populations, and the coastal Labrador locality of Cartwright. Microsatellite analyses demonstrated some genetic heterogeneity among sampling localities of Arctic foxes but no obvious pattern, while two or three clusters of red foxes suggested some admixture between the Churchill and Quebec-Labrador regions but uniqueness of the Cartwright group. The limited population structure of Arctic foxes is consistent with the rapid spread of rabies virus subtypes throughout the north, while red fox population substructure suggests that disease spread in this host moves most readily down certain independent corridors such as the northeastern coast of Canada and the central interior. Interestingly the evidence suggests that these red fox populations have limited capacity to maintain the virus over the long term, but they may contribute to viral persistence in areas of red and Arctic fox sympatry.

scholarly journals Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) scavenging on the spring sea ice: potential implications for Arctic food webs

2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-146
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Jung ◽  
Michael J. Suitor ◽  
Steven Barykuk ◽  
Joseph Nuyaviak ◽  
Danny C. Gordon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Spring Sea Ice

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been increasingly observed in the Arctic. However, few observations of Red Foxes occupying and using resources on the sea ice have been reported. We observed a Red Fox scavenging on a Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) carcass on the Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories, Canada. The fox was in a jumble of ice (i.e., rubble ice) approximately 4.5 km from shore. Local Inuvialuit hunters had also previously observed Red Foxes on the sea ice. Our observation, coupled with those of Inuvialuit hunters, is of interest because it provides additional information on the adaptability of Red Foxes to local environments and their ability to use a wide range of habitats and food sources. Moreover, it points to encroachment by Red Foxes into the offshore habitat of Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and potential competition with them for scarce resources, which may impact trophic food webs.

Den use by arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in a subarctic region of western Alaska

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Michael Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Fox ◽  
Alopex Lagopus ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Subarctic Region ◽  
Arctic Circle ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Arctic Foxes ◽  
Den Use

Distribution, abundance, and use of arctic fox dens located in coastal tundra communities of the Yukon–Kuskokwim delta were determined in studies from 1985 to 1990. Dens were denser and less complex than those described in studies conducted above the Arctic Circle. Eighty-three dens of varying complexity were found in the 52-km2 study area. Nineteen dens were used by arctic foxes for whelping or rearing pups. Three females relocated litters to multiple dens; a maximum of four dens were used concurrently by pups from one litter. Although red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were common in the region, their use of dens in the study area was minimal. Differences in vegetation at den sites and nearby unoccupied sites were minimal. Furthermore, den sites could not be distinguished from non-den sites during aerial surveys.

scholarly journals Water Bears—The Most Extreme Animals on The Planet (And in Space!)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skander Elleuche
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Boiling Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Grizzly Bears ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Water Bears

Can you imagine that there is an eight-legged bear that tolerates colder temperatures than the polar bears do in the Arctic? Can you imagine that this bear is able to grow older than the grizzly bears in North America? And can you imagine that this bear grows by molting, like spiders or snakes? These so-called water bears, scientifically named tardigrades, are the most extreme animals on our planet. They not only survive in ice, but also in boiling water. Moreover, they can stop breathing for long periods and they have even traveled to outer space, surviving without an astronaut’s suit. Since water bears can withstand the harshest conditions on earth and beyond, they may teach us how we can protect ourselves from extreme environmental conditions.

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