Extinct Beringian wolf morphotype found in the continental U.S. has implications for wolf migration and evolution.

ABSTRACT: Pleistocene diversity was much higher than today, for example there were three distinct wolf morphotypes (dire, gray, Beringian) in North America versus one today (gray). Previous fossil evidence suggested that these three groups overlapped ecologically, but split the landscape geographically. The Natural Trap Cave (NTC) fossil site in Wyoming, USA is an ideally placed late Pleistocene site to study the geographical movement of species from northern to middle North America before, during, and after the last glacial maximum. Until now, it has been unclear what type of wolf was present at NTC. We analyzed morphometrics of three wolf groups (dire, extant North American gray, Alaskan Beringian) to determine which wolves were present at NTC and what this indicates about wolf diversity and migra

SUBMITTER: Meachen JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4870223 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature