Ecology drives evolution in grey wolves

摘要: Background: Grey wolves (Canis lupus) are a widespread, Holarctic species distributed across wide variety of habitats, including deserts, dry plains, boreal forests, and the high arctic. They generalist carnivores, feeding on throughout their range. Wolves also disperse readily, with multiple records over 1000 km. Despite this, surprising examples differentiation between contiguous wolf populations have been described. Questions: How can population arise be maintained in continuously distributed, species? might this structure impact evolution conservation? Data: Previously published genetic, morphological, ecological data from ancient, historic, modern grey distribution. Results: Genetic is tightly associated habitat characteristics. This requires that dispersing primarily within natal habitat. As increase range to occupy new areas, these tend colonized by small numbers often occupying similar habitats. The arrivals quickly adapt conditions may able exclude other potential immigrating wolves. limitation admixture implies vanishing habitats (i.e. due climate change or land use change) likely disappear resulting loss locally adapted ecotypes. cycle repeated isolation extinction has led observed low level genetic diversity both species, lower than for widespread canids. Conclusions: Structure generated through ‘isolation environment’. more partitioned expected distribution wolves, leading decrease effective size evolutionary given habitat, threat when facing environmental changes. resulted pattern local extinctions reduced variation.