Skull morphology diverges between urban and rural populations of red foxes mirroring patterns of domestication and macroevolution.

ABSTRACT: Human activity is drastically altering the habitat use of natural populations. This has been documented as a driver of phenotypic divergence in a number of wild animal populations. Here, we show that urban and rural populations of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from London and surrounding boroughs are divergent in skull traits. These changes are primarily found to be involved with snout length, with urban individuals tending to have shorter and wider muzzles relative to rural individuals, smaller braincases and reduced sexual dimorphism. Changes were widespread and related to muscle attachment sites and thus are likely driven by differing biomechanical demands of feeding or cognition between habitats. Through extensive sampling of the genus Vulpes, we found no support for phylogen

SUBMITTER: Parsons KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7341913 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature