Litter size, sex ratio, and age structure of gray wolves, Canis lupus, in relation to population fluctuations in northern Belarus

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.E. Sidorovich ◽  
V.P. Stolyarov ◽  
N.N. Vorobei ◽  
N.V. Ivanova ◽  
B. Jędrzejewska
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Population Fluctuations ◽  
Wolf Population ◽  
Hunting Pressure ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
The Mean

Gray wolf ( Canis lupus L., 1758) population fluctuations in northern Belarus (Vitebsk region) between 1990 and 2003 were significantly affected by hunting pressure by humans. Mean litter size was inversely density dependent and varied from 4.8 to 7.7 pups (range 2–10). The increase in litter size with declining density of wolf population concerned only female pups, whereas the number of male pups in a litter was not related to population density. The sex ratio of pups varied significantly: the proportion of females reached 70% in a low-density wolf population and declined to 40%–50% in a high-density population. The age structure also varied. In years following heavy hunting pressure, 55% of individuals shot were juveniles <1 year old (with a strong predominance of females that constituted 69% of juveniles shot), and only 11% of wolves were older than 4 years. The mean age of all wolves shot was 1.5 years. In years following low hunting pressure, 34% of animals shot were juveniles and 20% exceeded 4 years. The mean age was 2.8 years. A female-biased sex ratio of wolf pups conforms to Hiraiwa-Hasegawa’s hypothesis of the advantaged daughter, proposed for species in which mothers are able to influence the reproductive success of their daughters through transmission of rank.

scholarly journals What is the taxonomic identity of Minnesota wolves?

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. D. Mech
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Wolf Population ◽  
The West ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Canis Lycaon

The taxonomic identity of the historical and current wolf ( Canis lupus L., 1758 or Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775 or their hybrids) population in Minnesota (MN) and the Great Lakes region has been, and continues to be, controversial. So too does its legal status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This review summarizes the morphological and genetic information about that population and concludes that historically the MN population consisted of a gray wolf (C. lupus) in the west and an eastern type ( Canis lupus lycaon or C. lycaon) in the east with intergrades or hybrids between the two in most of the state. After extirpation in much of its original MN range, the now-recovered population was infused with gray wolves from Ontario but still consists of hybrid lycaon × gray wolves, probably with higher content gray wolves in the west and higher content lycaon in the east but with most wolves morphologically appearing to be gray wolves. Because the current Wisconsin and Michigan wolf population was derived from MN wolves, they would be primarily hybrids as well. Future research should seek to relate genetic data with morphological measurements in MN wolves. In addition, attempts to breed coyotes ( Canis latrans Say, 1823) with gray wolves in captivity would shed considerable light on the controversy over the origin and taxonomic identity of the newly proposed C. lycaon.

Impacts of recolonizing gray wolves (Canis lupus) on survival and mortality in two sympatric ungulates

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 760-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Dellinger ◽  
C.R. Shores ◽  
M. Marsh ◽  
M.R. Heithaus ◽  
W.J. Ripple ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Large Predators

There is growing recognition that humans may mediate the strength and nature of the ecological effects of large predators. We took advantage of ongoing gray wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) recolonization in Washington, USA, to contrast adult survival rates and sources of mortality for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817)) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) in areas with and without wolf packs in a managed landscape dominated by multiple human uses. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of wolves to the existing predator guild would augment predator-induced mortality rates for both ungulates. Source of mortality data from adult mule deer and white-tailed deer, respectively, revealed that wolf-related mortality was low compared with that inflicted by other predators or humans. Predator-caused mortality was largely confined to winter. There was little effect of wolf presence on adult deer mortality rates, and there was no difference in mortality between the two deer species relative to wolf-free or wolf-occupied sites. Although this study occurred early in wolf recovery in Washington, our results differ from those demonstrated for gray wolves in protected areas. Thus, we encourage further investigation of effects of direct predation by recolonizing large carnivores on prey in human-dominated landscapes.

scholarly journals Severe Maxillary Osteomyelitis in a Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Barber-Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Dental Injuries

Whereas dental injuries and abnormalities have been documented in Gray Wolves (Canis lupus), severe maxillary necrosis has not previously been implicated in a Gray Wolf fatality. Here I report maxillary osteomyelitis in a wild Gray Wolf from northeastern Minnesota of such severity that I hypothesize it ultimately led to death by starvation.

scholarly journals Age Structure of Moose (Alces alces) Killed by Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) in Northeastern Minnesota, 1967–2011

2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
Michael E. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Alces Alces ◽  
Gray Wolves

The ages of 77 adult Moose (Alces alces) killed by Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) during the period 1967–2011 in northeastern Minnesota were significantly older than those of a sample of 17,585 Moose killed by hunters in nearby Ontario. Our findings support those of earlier studies of protected Moose populations in national parks that found that Gray Wolves tend to kill disproportionately more older Moose.

Productivity of coyotes (Canis latrans) from southern Québec

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 2240-2243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Jean ◽  
Jean-Marie Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
North American ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Corpora Lutea ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Large Litter ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Eastern Townships

A sample of coyotes harvested in the Eastern Townships of southern Québec indicate that 84% of the sample comprised females under 3 years old. The examination of mature follicles, corpora lutea and corpora albicantia, indicated that the ovulation rates ranged from 6.6 to 8.0, and the mean ovulation frequency was of 57%. The mean litter size was estimated at 7.1 with 46% of the females producing pups. The mean population productivity was of 316 pups per 100 females annually, concurring with rates found in other North American populations. Results suggest that a strong harvesting pressure could be at the origin of the large litter size, of the age structure that favors young animals, as well as the high turnover rate in the population.

scholarly journals The Japanese wolf is most closely related to modern dogs and its ancestral genome has been widely inherited by dogs throughout East Eurasia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Gojobori ◽  
Nami Arakawa ◽  
Xiaokaiti Xiayire ◽  
Yuki Matsumoto ◽  
Shuichi Matsumura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Ancestral Genome ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Japanese Archipelago ◽  
Whole Genomes ◽  
Genomic Analyses ◽  
The Japanese Archipelago

The Japanese wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax Temminck, 1839) was a subspecies of the gray wolf that inhabited the Japanese Archipelago and became extinct 100-120 years ago. In this study, we determined the whole genomes of nine Japanese wolves from the 19th- early 20th centuries and 11 Japanese dogs and analyzed them along with both modern and ancient wolves and dogs. Genomic analyses indicate that the Japanese wolf was a unique subspecies of the gray wolf that was genetically distinct from both modern and ancient gray wolves, lacking gene flow with other gray wolves. A Phylogenetic tree that minimizes the effects of introgression shows that Japanese wolves are closest to the dog monophyletic group among the gray wolves. Moreover, Japanese wolves show significant genetic affinities with East Eurasian dogs. We estimated the level of introgression from the ancestor of the Japanese wolves to the ancestor of East Eurasian dogs that had occurred in the transitional period from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, at an early stage after divergence from West Eurasian dog lineages. Because of this introgression, Japanese wolf ancestry has been inherited by many dogs through admixture between East Eurasian dog lineages. As a result of this heredity, up to 5.5% of modern dog genomes throughout East Eurasia are derived from Japanese wolf ancestry.

scholarly journals Population biology of Parides anchises nephalion (Papilionidae) in a coastal site in Southeast Brazil

2001 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. L. FREITAS ◽  
R. R. RAMOS
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Population Biology ◽  
Coastal Site ◽  
Population Peak ◽  
Se Brazil ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Travel Distances

A population of Parides anchises nephalion was studied during seven months in SE Brazil. The population size was about 10-20 individuals (with theoretic maximum near 60 individuals), with small variations in some months. Sex ratio was male biased, with males dominating in all months. The age structure was not stable, with an increase in new individuals before the population peak in December. The residence time was 14.1 ± 8.2 days for males and 9.0 ± 3.6 to females, with the maximum registered of 30 days. Males can travel distances of up to 400 m, but most individuals were always recaptured in the same site. The mean forewing length was greater in females. The population features agree with those found in other species of Parides in other neotropical sites.

scholarly journals Postcranial diversity and recent ecomorphic impoverishment of North American gray wolves

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20170613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susumu Tomiya ◽  
Julie A. Meachen
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Northwestern North America

Recent advances in genomics and palaeontology have begun to unravel the complex evolutionary history of the gray wolf, Canis lupus . Still, much of their phenotypic variation across time and space remains to be documented. We examined the limb morphology of the fossil and modern North American gray wolves from the late Quaternary (< ca 70 ka) to better understand their postcranial diversity through time. We found that the late-Pleistocene gray wolves were characterized by short-leggedness on both sides of the Cordilleran–Laurentide ice sheets, and that this trait survived well into the Holocene despite the collapse of Pleistocene megafauna and disappearance of the ‘Beringian wolf' from Alaska. By contrast, extant populations in the Midwestern USA and northwestern North America are distinguished by their elongate limbs with long distal segments, which appear to have evolved during the Holocene possibly in response to a new level or type of prey depletion. One of the consequences of recent extirpation of the Plains ( Canis lupus nubilus ) and Mexican wolves ( C. l. baileyi ) from much of the USA is an unprecedented loss of postcranial diversity through removal of short-legged forms. Conservation of these wolves is thus critical to restoration of the ecophenotypic diversity and evolutionary potential of gray wolves in North America.

scholarly journals Prolonged Intensive Dominance Behavior Between Gray Wolves, Canis lupus

2010 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. David Mech ◽  
H. Dean Cluff
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Dominance Behavior ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Free Ranging

Dominance is one of the most pervasive and important behaviors among wolves in a pack, yet its significance in free-ranging packs has been little studied. Insights into a behavior can often be gained by examining unusual examples of it. In the High Arctic near Eureka, Nunavut, Canada, we videotaped and described an unusually prolonged and intensive behavioral bout between an adult male Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and a male member of his pack, thought to be a maturing son. With tail raised, the adult approached a male pack mate about 50 m from us and pinned and straddled this packmate repeatedly over 6.5 minutes, longer than we had ever seen in over 50 years of studying wolves. We interpreted this behavior as an extreme example of an adult wolf harassing a maturing offspring, perhaps in prelude to the offspring's dispersal.

Genetic variability in natural populations of the gray wolf, Canis lupus

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1183-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis K. Kennedy ◽  
Michael L. Kennedy ◽  
Peter L. Clarkson ◽  
Ilme S. Liepins
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Canis Lupus ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Gray Wolf ◽  
Starch Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Starch Gel

The genetic variability of gray wolves (Canis lupus) from northwestern Canada was assessed through starch-gel electrophoresis. Of 27 protein systems examined, 25, representing 37 presumptive loci, were consistently scorable; 7 proteins (5 were consistently scorable) exhibited polymorphism. The level of heterozygosity (3.0%) was medial relative to values reported for natural populations of Carnivora and high relative to values reported for natural populations of canids. An overall pattern of few deviations from Hardy–Weinberg expectations and some spatial heterogeneity was observed. Wolves associated with different caribou herds exhibited a low level of differentiation (FST = 0.029). The pattern of variability supports the view of a large panmictic population resulting from extensive movements of individuals and packs and from natural and human impacts on pack structure and formation.

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