An investigation of subspecific relationships of the grey wolf, Canis lupus, in British Columbia

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dc.contributor.authorFriis, Laura Kirstineen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-13T22:24:58Z
dc.date.available2024-08-13T22:24:58Z
dc.date.copyright1985en_US
dc.date.issued1985
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Biologyen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science M.Sc.en
dc.description.abstractWolf populations in southern British Columbia have been increasing in recent years, especially on Vancouver Island. The objectives of this study were (a) to investigate the validity of subspecific designations for wolves in the Pacific Northwest, (b) to determine whether wolf-dog hybridization was occurring on Vancouver Island, (c) to determine whether wolves were immigrating to Vancouver Island from the mainland, and (d) to investigate the subspecific status of wolves reoccupying historic range in southern British Columbia and the adjacent United States. Analysis of a series of skull measurements by multivariate methods suggested that there were two major groups of wolves present in British Columbia, a large, northern type and a smaller type occupying the coast and the northwestern United States. Those wolf types designated Canis lupus fuscus and C.l. irremotus appear to be extinct. Canis lupus crassodon was identified as a distinct type. No reason was found to designate the wolves of northeastern British Columbia as a separate type from those of the interior. Multivariate analyses of dogs and wolves, and analysis of non-metric characters, suggested that hybridization had occurred on southern Vancouver Island, although to a very limited extent. Recent Vancouver Island wolves were shown to resemble mainland wolves as much as the historic island population. It appears that immigrating wolves have diluted the original population so that it is no longer possible to distinguish Island from mainland coastal wolves. Multivariate analysis of recent wolves from southeastern B.C. and the northwestern United States strongly suggests that the wolves found there now have migrated south from Canada and are not remnant populations of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf which formerly occupied this area. It is recommended that, in the interests of maintaining genetic diversity, wildlife managers consider that the wolves of Vancouver Island and the mainland coast likely constitute the only surviving populations of the small southern wolf groups when designing their management plans for this species.
dc.format.extent180 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/17831
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.titleAn investigation of subspecific relationships of the grey wolf, Canis lupus, in British Columbiaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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