Coyote Evolution

Skull is thicker and deeper with a shorter and broader rostrum

C. L. Orcutti was larger and more robust, in response to larger prey and competitors.

Teeth were wider and more suited for sheering meat

Pleistocene Coyote

Coyotes first appear 11 million years ago as a subspecies known as Canis Latrans Orcutti, or the Pleistocene Coyote.

Merriam, J. (1911). Pleistocene coyote skeleton [Image]. In J. Merriam, The Fauna of Rancho La Brea (p. 265). Berkley: CA: University of California Press, 1912.

As the Pleistocene Ended...

Large prey and competitors such as dire wolves died out

Gray wolves moved to fill niche for large carnivore and competed with coyotes

Coyotes became smaller and their teeth became more suited for an omnivorous diet

Global temperatures increased

Modern Coyotes

Canis Latrans

Pointed Ears

Ears are tall and large

• 18-50 pounds
• 4-5 feet (nose to tail)
• Prefers open habitat
• Solitary hunter specializing in rodents, rabbits and other small animals but will also scavenge
• Also will eat fruit and vegetables
• Can be solitary or live in social or family groups

Thin snout and Jaw

Teeth with more grinding surfaces for eating omnivorous diet

Tail

Legs

Tipped in black guard hairs and carried low

Long legs allow speeds up to 40 mph.

Couperus, J. (2007). Coyote [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jitze1942/1751241022/

Coyote Ranges Over Time

The coyote's traditional range stretched from California to the Mississippi river. In the 1900's, coyote populations began expanding east.

Take a Closer Look

Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. (2018). Coyote range expansion by decade [map]. In Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. Mapping the expansion of coyotes (Canis latrans) across North and Central America (p. 89). https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.759.15149

Urban Coyotes

Normally diurnal, coyotes in urban areas have adapted to avoid conflict. Increases in human activity or development result in increases in coyote nocturnal activity.

Urban coyotes show more bold and exploratory behaviors than rural coyotes. This could be a result of selective breeding for a trait that is more helpful in a human dominated landscape.

Coyotes thrive in every major metropolitan area in the United States, including Los Angeles and New York City.

Can these population changes lead to further coyote evolution?

Coyotes in urban and suburban areas are genetically distinct from coyotes in natural areas. Man-made infrastructure prevents travel between populations, reducing gene flow.

Coyotes are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever is available. Scientists have found that suburban coyotes eat less anthropogenic foods than urban coyotes. Both populations rely mostly on a diet of rodents.

Chicago is home to

over 2,000 coyotes

Grayson, R. (2019). Urban Coyote [Photograph] Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/Rvocmz

Sources

Image Citations from Main Page

• Antón, M. (2008). Borophagus diversidens defends its prey [Illustration]. In X. Wang & R. Tedford, How Dogs Came to Run the World. Natural History, 117(6) p. 22

• Grayson, R. (2019). Urban Coyote [Photograph] Retrieved from https://flic.kr/p/Rvocmz

• Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. (2018). Coyote range expansion by decade [map]. In Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. Mapping the expansion of coyotes (Canis latrans) across North and Central America (p. 89). https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.759.15149

• Nussbaumer, W. (2018). Coyote Walking Across Rocks [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.projectcoyote.org/mediaroom/photos/photos-wildlife/

• Switek, B. (2015). A coyote at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum [Photograph]. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2015/01/14/how-extinction-changed-the-coyote/

• Tjflex2. (2015) Coyote [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjflex/24228857326/

Informational Resources

• Adducci, A., Jasperse, J., Riley, S., Brown, J., Honeycutt, R., & Monzón, J. (2020). Urban coyotes are genetically distinct from coyotes in natural habitats. Journal of Urban Ecology, 6(1), juaa010.

• Berger, K. M., & Gese, E. M. (2007). Does interference competition with wolves limit the distribution and abundance of coyotes?. Journal of Animal Ecology, 76(6), 1075-1085.

• Breck, S. W., Poessel, S. A., Mahoney, P., & Young, J. K. (2019). The intrepid urban coyote: a comparison of bold and exploratory behavior in coyotes from urban and rural environments. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-11.

• Gier, H. T. (2009). Ecology and behavior of the coyote (Canis latrans). In Wild Canids: Their Systematics, Behavioral Ecology & Evolution. Dogwise Publishing (p. 247-262). (Original work published 1975).

• Henger, C. S., Herrera, G. A., Nagy, C. M., Weckel, M. E., Gormezano, L. J., Wultsch, C., & Munshi-South, J. (2019). Genetic diversity and relatedness of a recently established population of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in New York City. Urban Ecosystems, 23(2) 1-12.

• Heppenheimer, E., Brzeski, K. E., Hinton, J. W., Patterson, B. R., Rutledge, L. Y., DeCandia, A. L., ... & White, B. N. (2018). High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote (Canis latrans) populations. Ecology and Evolution, 8(24), 12641-12655.

• Hody, J. W., & Kays, R. (2018). Mapping the expansion of coyotes (Canis latrans) across North and Central America. ZooKeys, (759), 81-97. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.759.15149

• Kays, R., Curtis, A., & Kirchman, J. J. (2010). Rapid adaptive evolution of northeastern coyotes via hybridization with wolves. Biology Letters, 6(1), 89-93.

• Meachen, J. A., & Samuels, J. X. (2012). Evolution in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the megafaunal extinctions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(11), 4191-4196.

• Meachen, J. A., Janowicz, A. C., Avery, J. E., & Sadleir, R. W. (2014). Ecological changes in coyotes (Canis latrans) in response to the Ice Age megafaunal extinctions. PLoS One, 9(12), e116041. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116041

• Sillero-Zubiri, C., & Macdonald, D. W. (Eds.). (2004). The biology and conservation of wild canids. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Way, J. G., Rutledge, L., Wheeldon, T., & White, B. N. (2010). Genetic characterization of eastern “coyotes” in eastern Massachusetts. Northeastern Naturalist, 17(2), 189-204.