#pleistocene coyote

[prairiegh0st]

Everlastingly Yours

[proteusolm]

Okay pardon my wild horse rant, but I'm going to rant about wild horses. The debate over if feral domestic horses should be left to their own devices to "fulfill the role ancient horses did" drives me nuts. I keep seeing people claim that North America had wild horses until as recently as 6000 years ago as justification, which isn't entirely untrue, but it's entirely irrelevant to the conversation of modern day feral horses. If you actually read the eDNA studies, it is abundantly clear that this isn't when the wild horses died out where feral horses are now. The 6k figure is specific to the what were once mammoth steppe ecosystems in Alaska and the Yukon, a refuge in which many Pleistocene mammals lingered much longer than they did elsewhere. This does not indicate that the rest of North America aught to have the same species as it did in the Pleistocene. Our ecosystems are not the same as they were then. Our ecosystems were already not the same as they were then well before european contact. There isn't evidence of wild horses being present anywhere near that long in the continental US.

Regardless, horses that have been domesticated for thousands of years from Spain aren't the same thing as the wild horses which roamed North America even if they're technically the same species. If you want to reintroduce megafauna, an actual extant wild animal called the bison is right there. Trying to replace wild horses that largely died out naturally in the early Holocene (yes, I know indigenous subsistence hunting was likely a factor along with the major climactic shifts at the time. No, I don't especially consider that to be an unnatural cause.) with domestic horses is silly. That isn't the same animal, and they don't need restoring. We need to focus on conserving and rehabilitating modern ecosystems, not restoring Pleistocene fauna.

In Europe there are rewilding projects using domestic horses and cattle, but they have so thoroughly decimated their ecosystems and wiped out so much of their wildlife that they're basically building from scratch. It's a very different context to North America. We don't need to be leaving domesticated horses out on their own so people who feel romantic about the idea of the freedom of a "wild" mustang can see a foal get ripped apart by coyotes or whatever. I don't view it differently than if someone was advocating for releasing dogs into the woods to fulfill the role their wild ancestors did; We don't need to do that, wolves are right there and make a hell of a lot more sense to conserve. We shouldn't be skipping over animals that lived in an area 100 years ago in favour of ones that lived there 10,000 years ago.

[saritapaleo]

Patreon request for @/brittoniawhite (Instagram handle) - Thylacinus cynocephalus. I’ve drawn this guy already, but here’s a new pose AND a size chart, which the previous post didn’t have.

Known by several common names: the Tasmanian Tiger, Tasmanian Wolf, or simply the Thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus was neither canine nor feline, but instead a large carnivorous marsupial.

Being a marsupial, it had a pouch. Though it was unique in that both females and males had pouches: the males’ were used to protect their reproductive organs. Thylacine life expectancy was estimated to be between 5 and 7 years, though some captive specimens lived to 9 years. They were shy and nocturnal carnivores, likely eating other marsupials such as kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and possums, as well as other small animals and birds, such as the similarly extinct Tasmanian Emu. However, it is a matter of dispute whether the thylacine would have been able to take on prey items as large or larger than itself. It is unknown whether they hunted alone or in small family groups, though captive thylacines did get along with each other.

Thylacinus cynocephalus was the last of the Thylacinids, a family of Dasyuromorph marsupials. It lived from the Pleistocene to the Holocene in Australia and New Guinea, driven to extinction in the 1930s by hunting, human encroachment, disease, and feral dogs. The thylacine was already extinct on the Australian mainland and New Guinea by the time British settlers arrived, with the island of Tasmania being its last stronghold. Settlers feared the marsupial would attack them and their livestock, demonizing it as a “blood drinker”, and bounties were put in place that drove the thylacine to be overhunted. As they became rarer, there was a push to capture thylacines and keep them alive in captivity, but unfortunately it was too little, too late. Conservation and animal welfare was not at the level it is today, not much was known about their behavior in the wild, and there was only one successful birth in captivity. Studies show that with continued successful breeding, a campaign to change public perception, and protections put into place much earlier, the thylacine could have been saved. But the last captive thylacine died in 1936, and official protection was not put in place until that year, 59 days before his death. Sightings continued into the 1980s, and even today some claim to see them, but all of these sightings are unconfirmed and unlikely. As are all the other animals on this account, the thylacine is definitively extinct.

Today, carnivores such as wolves and coyotes are demonized in the same way the thylacine was, and there are some who wish to also wipe them out entirely, even having succeeded in many places. While some of the thylacine’s closest relatives, like the Numbat and Tasmanian Devil, survived the European persecution which killed off the thylacines, they are still endangered today due to introduced predators and disease. Instead of continuing to search for, or trying to resurrect the lost thylacine, perhaps it is best we channel that attention, love, and regret on the species we still have. Extinction is forever, and it is easier to save those who are still alive.

This art may be used for educational purposes, with credit, but please contact me first for permission before using my art. I would like to know where and how it is being used. If you don’t have something to add that was not already addressed in this caption, please do not repost this art. Thank you!

[dromaeo-sauridae]

see skyrim did something cool by having pleistocene era animals, mammoths and smilodons and cave bears, but come on. give me a glyptodon! or a ground sloth! why do the wolves just look like oversized mangy coyotes i want a dire wolf. go big or go home. skyrim back at it again being a disappointment

[ainews]

When we think of suffocation, we often imagine the act of breathing being blocked or restricted, leading to death. But did you know that the direction of suffocation for certain species can actually play a role in their population size and even lead to their extinction?

One such example is the direwolf, a species that lived during the Pleistocene era but became extinct around 10,000 years ago. These impressive creatures, made famous by the popular TV show Game of Thrones, were known for their large size and powerful jaws. But it was their method of suffocation that ultimately contributed to their demise.

Direwolves, like other canids, were pack hunters and relied on their ability to take down large prey for survival. But unlike their modern-day counterparts, such as wolves and coyotes, direwolves had a unique method of killing their prey – suffocation by crushing the windpipe.

According to a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the direwolf's jaw structure and muscle placement allowed them to exert a significant amount of pressure on their prey's neck, specifically the windpipe. This resulted in a rapid and efficient suffocation, making it easier for a pack of direwolves to take down a larger animal.

But this mode of killing also had its drawbacks. As the majority of direwolves were right-handed, they tended to turn in a counterclockwise direction during their attack, meaning that their crushing pressure was mainly directed towards the left side of their prey's neck and windpipe.

Over time, this constant pressure and suffocation on the left side led to an increase in the left side of the windpipe becoming larger and stronger. This caused the direwolf's suffocating technique to become more and more levorotatory (turning towards the left or counterclockwise) over generations.

So how did this contribute to the direwolf's extinction? Well, as the direwolves continued to evolve and become more efficient in their suffocation methods, their prey also evolved to defend against them. This natural arms race led to an increase in the strength and size of their prey's windpipe, making it more difficult for the direwolves to suffocate them.

But since their suffocating technique was now primarily levorotatory, this made it even harder for them to successfully kill their prey. As a result, the direwolf population began to decline, ultimately leading to their extinction.

While suffocation may seem like a simple and brutal way of killing prey, the direction and frequency of this act can have a significant impact on a species' survival. In the case of the direwolves, their levorotatory suffocation technique played a role in their decline and eventual extinction.

[pleistocene-pride]

The Californian turkey (Meleagris californica) is an extinct species of turkey that lived throughout the West Coast of North America during the Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs some 2 million to 10,000 years ago. The first remains now known to belong to m. californica consisting of a partial skeleton were unearthed from the la brae tar pits by one Doctor Miller in 1909 who originally described as a type of peafowl and placed in the genus Pavo. Years later Miller reclassified it as an intermediate between the Indian peafowl and the ocellated turkey. Today the Californian turkey is the most common bird found in the la brea tar pits with over 700 individuals having been recovered, and has been determined to be a close relative of modern extant wild turkeys. Reaching around 28 to 45 inches (70 to 114cms) in length and 5 to 20lbs (2.26 to 9.07kgs) in weight, the Californian Turkey was smaller yet stockier than the modern wild and sported a shorter, wider beak. In life Californian turkeys would have lived in familial flocks which spent there days foraging on the ground or climbing shrubs and small trees to feed upon acorns, nuts, pinecones, seeds, berries, buds, leaves, ferns, roots, fruit, insects, and small amphibians and reptiles. While themselves being prey to a litany of predators such as dire wolves, foxes, coyotes, bears, lions, jaguars, cougars, saber toothed cats, eagles, falcons, hawks, badgers, and teratorns. The extinction of this species is thought to have been caused by a combination of drought and overhunting by humans.

Art used above found at the following links

[briery]

Paleolithic dog, hesperocyon, partial dire wolf, & Pleistocene coyote.

[harvardfineartslib]

For thirty years, Duane Slick has been creating work that integrates his Native American heritage. In his ongoing painting series that references the coyote, Slick plays with the beauty and the tragedy of his heritage, weaving the mythology and folklore of Indigenous culture with Modernist abstraction style. Like the wolf, the buffalo, and the grizzly bear, the coyote was hunted down and killed by European settlers because of fear for the safety of their livestock. The violence towards these animals parallels the genocide waged against Native Americans in the United States.

“The coyote doesn’t just embody Native America—it is Native America, with the animal’s roots on the continent going back into the early Pleistocene Epoch, two and half million years ago. Slick has taken on the mantle of the coyote to convey both the beauty and the tragedy of his heritage: in the artist’s work there is room for the coyote’s laughter and its tears.” – (Page 6, Richard Klein, Exhibition Director.)

In Slick’s paintings, the coyote speaks.

This November, we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month by sharing some of our new acquisitions for Native American artists, including the exhibition catalog for “Duane Slick : the coyote makes the sunset better,” previously on view at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT.

Image 1: Book cover

Image 2: Left page; “Red Eye,” Right page; “Black Snout,” both Acrylic on linen, 14”x11, 2020

Duane Slick : the coyote makes the sunset better Attribution [essay by curator Richard Klein]. Author / Creator Slick, Duane Ridgefield, Conn. : Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 2022. 87 pages : color illustrations ; 28 cm English Published on occasion of the exhibition organized by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, January 16 - May 8, 2022. 2022 HOLLIS number: 99156361672603941

[darkwood-sleddog]

Do you think trying to domesticate other canids is worth it?

No I don't. Dogs are not only the very first domesticated animal and the only animal domesticated in the Pleistocene, they are also the ONLY large carnivore that has been domesticated in all of human history. I do not believe the unique circumstances that led dogs to exist can happen again and that modern breeding programs trying to domesticate other wild canids will yield animals as suitable for human companionship.

Dogs are also one of the most genetically mutable animals on earth, their genetics mutate incredibly easily in comparison to other species, this is likely why they were not only able to be domesticated, but able to establish themselves as the being to evolve alongside humanity so easily. It's the reason why we can use them for SO many jobs and purposes. In comparison, other domesticated carnivores like cats and ferrets serve more limited purposes.

I don't see an empty niche that domestication of foxes, coyotes, jackles would fill and that means that their domestication would be not purposeful, but for human desire ALONE. Human beings did not see ancient wolves and decide they were going to create a breeding program to develop wolves into dogs, dogs did not exist yet. Dogs and humans evolved together over time and we have a coevolutionary relationship where dogs are now more genetically primed to be our companions and partners. I just don't think we can replicate that and no I don't think it is worth exploring "for science" because it would feasibly take thousands of years of dedicated breeding to get to that point.

[fantrollnames]

wild dog based fantroll names

Aenocy, dierri (dire wolf/Aenocyon dirus)

alpinu, dohlec (dhole/Cuon alpinus)

alstro,halsto,stromi(New Guinea singing dog/Canis hallstromi)

Apenni, apenin (Italian wolf/Canis lupus italicus/Apennine wolf)

archae, haeocy (Archaeocyon/ancient dog. extinct genus of canids from North America)

armbru, ruster(Armbruster's wolf/Canis armbrusteri)

asenar (Asena from turkic foundation mythos)

aureus (golden jackal/Canis aureus. wolf-like canid from Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia)

bailey (Mexican wolf/Canis lupus baileyi)

Belize (Belize coyote)

beothu, thucus (Newfoundland wolf/Canis lupus beothucus)

bernar (Bernard's wolf/Canis lupus bernardi)

boerte (boerte chino/mongolian wolf said to have mated with a doe to create the people)

brevis (the Don wolf/C. l. brevis)

Canina (wolf like subtribe)

Canini (dog-like subfamily)

canisu (canis lupus/wolf)

chanco (Canis chanco/Mongolian wolf)

crista, taldii, sicili, ilianu (Sicilian wolf/Canis lupus cristaldii/lupu sicilianu)

durana (Durango coyote)

edward, wardii (Canis edwardii/Edward's wolf is an extinct species of wolf)

eucyon (Eucyon.extinct genus of medium omnivorous coyote-like canid that first appeared in the Western United States)

fenrir,fenris,risulf,roovit,hrovit,nargan,vanarg (fenrir/Fenrisúlfr/Hróðvitnir/Vanargand, is a wolf in Norse mythology)

griseo (Manitoba wolf/Canis lupus griseoalbus)

gronla orioni (Greenland wolf/Canis lupus orion/grønlandsulv)

hattai (Hokkaido wolf/Canis lupus hattai)

hesper,perocy,erocyo (Hesperocyon/Hesperocyoninae. extict canine from north america)

hropos (werewolf/werwulf/lycanthrope)

iliari (dingo/Canis familiaris dingo)

laskan,pambas,basile,sileus (Interior Alaskan wolf/yukon wolf/Canis lupus pambasileus)

latran (Canis latrans/coyote)

leptos (The genus Leptocyon/leptos slender + cyon dog)

lorida (Florida black wolf/Canis lupus floridanus)

lupast,paster(African wolf/Canis lupaster)

Lupule, adusta (side-striped jackal/Lupulella adusta)

Lycaon, pictus(African wild dog/Lycaon pictus)

medein,edeina,vorune (Medeina/forest mother/zvorune/zvoruna from lithuania)

merico (Megacyon merriami/Merriam's dog. extinct dog from indonesia)

mesome, omelas ( black-backed jackal/Lupulella mesomelas)

mosbac (Canis mosbachensis/Mosbach wolf. extict eurasia wolf)

okamin, hodoph, philax, honshu (Japanese wolf/Nihon ōkami/Canis lupus hodophilax/Honshū wolf)

opokam, pokami (opo-kami, later turned into okami meaning wolf)

orcuti (Pleistocene coyote/Canis latrans orcutti)

protel, crista,istata (aardwolf/Proteles cristata)

Protoc,tocyon(Protocyon/extinct genus of canid from South and North America)

pulell, upulel (genus of canine from africa)

rabili (Texas wolf/Canis lupus monstrabilis)

remotu (northern Rocky Mountain wolf/Canis lupus irremotus)

rocyon, Nurocy, chonok, harien, iensis (Nurocyon chonokhariensis, extinct dog)

rukhan,turukh (tundra wolf/Canis lupus albus/Turukhan wolf)

sardou, theriu(Sardinian dhole/Cynotherium sardous, extinct canid from italy and france)

sekowe, ekoweic (genus that includes african wild dogs)

skoull (skoll/Treachery/Mockery is a wolf that chases the Sun in norse mythos)

socyon, brachy, hyurus (Chrysocyon brachyurus/maned wolf)

spelae, pelaeu(cave wolf/Canis lupus spelaeus)

speoth, peotho (Speothos/bushdog)

telocy (Atelocynus microtis/short eared dog)

tereut,tanuki,reutes (Nyctereutes/tanuki, raccoon dog)

tolina (Capitoline Wolf/Lupa Capitolina. wolf mother to the mythical founders of rome)

trinil (Mececyon trinilensis/Trinil dog. extinct canid species from Indonesia)

tundra,drarum,undrar(Alaskan tundra wolf/Canis lupus tundrarum)

usicyo,ustral (Dusicyon australis/extinct genus of South American canids)

vargar, wargoe (vargr/warg, wolves used in norse mythos)

vilkas, gelezi,exinis (The Iron Wolf/Geležinis Vilkas)

vitnis,nisson,hroovi,hatiho (Hati Hróðvitnisson. wolf who chases the moon in norse mythos)

vukoda,kodlak (vuko-dlak/wolf-furr. slavic werewolf)

wuchar,charia,ouchan,akhata,khatar,kebero,binawa,kyarke,dhahab,bukhar (African wolf/Canis lupaster which has many indiginous names in different parts of africa which ive pulled these names from)

wulfaz (proto germanic for wolf)

[prairiegh0st]

went back and added a couple guys since I'd like to do them in order from here out

gonna work on a size chart of all my guys during my downtime

[scholarlypidgeot]

Out of the receng worldbuilding asks: 2 (because any excuse to hear more about perytons is good); and mayyybe 5 (because if you have thought about it before then you really have a fully functional world).

2 What sort of magical creatures exist in your world? (Dragons, fair folk, spirits, etc)

Magic is a very broad term, but I know what you mean. Unusual creatures in the setting include but are not limited to:

Perytons! Deer with wings and teeth. Generally flightless. Tend to linger around herds of true deer and prey on the predators. Typically a symbol of the strong protecting the weak, and as such symbolic of The Hunt. A symbiotic relationship.

Ornixes! Large breeds are also called dragons, but in reality this is just the collective term for therapod dinosaur-like creatures. Small breeds tend to be very intelligent and clever, comparable to modern birds. Larger species are much more animal, and built to kill. Viewed similarly to sharks as graceful and beautiful but incredibly dangerous, even if they generally avoid human populations.

Aurochs! A collective term for megafauna in general, including what we'd recognize as elephants, Sauropod dinosaurs, Pleistocene mammals, etc. Auroch is most often a generalized or collective term, like cattle, for when these creatures are used as beasts of burden or otherwise raised under human care.

Giant spiders! They're literally just called spiders. Spidersilk is a valuable material within the setting. Coarse spider hair is useful to make brushes or cleaning materials, and shed exoskeletons can be used to reinforce gear or make armor. The venom of most large spiders is actually only harmful to humans in large doses, but a bite will still be lethal (duh). There are also other abnormally large bugs, but spiders have worldbuilding significance.

Don't get me started on what might be in the ocean. Since there's one primary landmass and most people use the inland sea.... yeah.

Magical creatures - magically influenced people, for the most part - tend to influence the idea that creatures like the above are reflections of other creatures, rather than a world where these creatures never existed at all. It's much more symbolic. Speaking of which, magical people-creatures (Fair Folk) can be condensed into 2-4 categories:

Unseelie. Most comparable to the animal reflections of people. Sharp teeth and nails, blood cravings as a side effect, heightened senses honed for nighttime predation. Many consider them closer to ornixes or perytons than people, even if that's wrong, because it's better to believe you couldn't become like that.

Seelie are easier to live with. They're unusual, sure - their hair is strange colors, their eyes are bright and eager, they live life on the edge and recklessly, their bodies are nearly indestructible. They'll do anything in their power to cheat you if it benefits them. But they can't lie. They won't eat you. Oftentimes their demands are somewhat reasonable. And they always stand by their word. Sure it's by compulsion, but hey, at least they're not going to eat you, and even if there is an unfavorable bargain, it's very likely you'll outlive them.

Wulvers are a subclass of Seelie, or once were, according to legend. Every region has its wulvers, adapted to its climate: Arahas has bouda, hyena-men; the Protectorates and North see kitsune, foxfolk; the Forest region has more traditional werewolves; Brydlen has folk that can take the shape of great hounds, called Faoladh; the Basin, coyotes; and in Zanoma are Lobisomem, who appear as maned wolves. They share most of the primary Seelie traits, that is, liability to fast living, near invulnerability-- although, rather than iron as their Seelie cousins, they're vulnerable to silver weapons. There are two primary differences: 1. They have an average human lifespan, believed in different Wulver cultures to have been earned by one of their ancestors tricking death; and 2. they have a co-dependence, and often serve as protectors of their human communities. A wild, vicious Wulver is a force to be reckoned with, however, almost as fierce as an Unseelie and equally dangerous.

Finally, there are normal humans who can channel magic in little ways. A voice that can bend people to their will; sparks of fire; bursts of electrical discharge; an abnormally green thumb; temporary invisibility; speaking the language of animals. The causes of this are yet unknown, but no one with these abilities is more or less likely to become Seelie or Unseelie, and it doesn't seem to be genetic. Sometimes your child just starts talking to a cat and you have to be open to accept that.

Thank you for the ask! The worldbuilding questions can be found here, for anyone else interested!

[iwoll]

Death is Natural, Right?

Death is natural, right? Feline halitosis one can smell from yards away, the stench of quick-approaching mortality. The aroma swells and dissipates in sickly sweet cession. In a way he is still beautiful in a juxtapose sort of way, like the Titan arum or the word “metastasized.” He is still as he was as a young kitten, his hair silky soft and as dark as the April night. Understanding comes as soon as the smell, it is his time.

There is no fear or panic, just acceptance. What is done cannot be undone. There is still shock, no doubt; the shaking and asphyxia is hard to take in. The breathing that sounds just like steel nails on 50-grit. Recalling the short-lived yelp and the convulsing like a shiver going up one’s spine. That sick feeling spins a web of guilt, “could I have done anything more?”. The answer is well… sometimes.

Death is natural, right? The gaunt appearance of a friend once young, seemingly out of nowhere. Once agile and quick, now contracted and sick. Nature can nurture; however, nature can kill. Air so cold, one could swear it was the age of the Pleistocene. Wind howling like the coyotes on a warm summer’s night. He takes a deep breath and chokes on the nurturing care of nature, pleas never heard over the howling white snow. The cat was under the stairway, cold as ice but looked just as pleasant as when he sat by the warm, crackling fireplace. As quoths the Raven, “Nevermore.”

Acceptance is a hard thing to acquire when he was there just yesterday, as normal as ever. Anger and sadness burn like acid through hearts and eyes. Guilt weighs heavy like a cinder block on a balloon. Nothing is like it was before. His hair is coarse, his joints are stiff (as it has been less than the allotted 24 hours). No closure, one can only feel helpless.

But death is natural, right?

[adseculaictis]

A   VERY   DESCRIPTIVE   PROFILE   OF   YOUR   MUSE.

repost   with   the   information   of   your   muse,      including   headcanons,      etc.   if   you   fail   to   achieve   some   of   the   facts,      add   some   other   of   your   own   !  

NAME.  None; often goes by “Invy.”

AGE.    2 Million years old (Born during the pleistocene epoch)

SPECIES.      Devil; Coyote formerly

GENDER.   Non-binary  

ORIENTATION.   pansexual

INTERESTS.  Exploration, arts, hunting, survival, socializing

PROFESSION.   Hand of God & Servitor to the Goddess of Envy

BODY   TYPE.    Emaciated

EYES.   Green; only one.  

HAIR.   Black.  

FACE.   Thin, with large eyes, a slightly pointed nose and thin lips.

HEIGHT.  Coyote: 18″/ F: 5′0-5′2 /  M:6′0 / Monster: 10′5′’

COMPANIONS.   Three intellect parasites that live within her body; Eldest primarily.  

ANTAGONISTS. Most everyone             

COLORS.   Greens, reds

FRUITS.   Strawberries, dragon fruit, mangos.

DRINKS.   Water, some teas, lemonade, cider

ALCOHOLIC   BEVERAGES?  Do not have an affect; drinks for effect

SMOKES?   No

DRUGS?  Sometimes.

DRIVERS   LICENSE?   No

tagging:   You~

[mijh]

these are maned wolves (my ocs from wolfwalker ) and are not a mother and her cub, but two friends. 👍🥰😁🧡

about maned wolf:

Guara wolf From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia How to read a taxonomy infoxoxy-maned wolf [1] Occurrence: Pleistocene - Recent Maned wolf in the Serra da Canastra National Park Maned wolf in the Serra da Canastra National Park conservation state Almost threatened Almost threatened (IUCN 3.1) [2] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genre: Chrysocyon Smith, 1839 Species: C. brachyurus Binomial name Chrysocyon brachyurus Illiger, 1815 Type species Canis jubatus Desmarest, 1820 Geographic distribution Maned Wolf range.png Synonyms [3] Canis brachyurus Illiger, 1811 Canis campestris Wied-Neuwied, 1826 Canis isodactylus Ameghino, 1909 Canis jubatus Desmarest, 1820 Vulpes cankerosa Oken, 1816 The maned wolf (scientific name: Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a species of canid endemic to South America and the only member of the genus Chrysocyon. Probably the closest living species is the vinegar dog (Speothos venaticus). It occurs in savannas and open areas in central Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia, being a typical animal of the Cerrado. It was extinct in part from its occurrence to the south, but it must still occur in Uruguay. On July 29, 2020 the maned wolf was chosen to symbolize the two hundred reais bill.

It is the largest canid in South America, reaching between 20 and 30 kg in weight and up to 90 cm at the height of the withers. Its long, slender legs and dense reddish coat give it an unmistakable appearance. The maned wolf is adapted to the open environments of the South American savannas, being a twilight and omnivorous animal, with an important role in the dispersion of seeds of fruits of the cerrado, mainly the lobeira (Solanum lycocarpum). Lonely, the territories are divided between a couple, who are in the period of the female's estrus. These territories are quite wide, and may have an area of ​​up to 123 km². Communication takes place mainly through scent marking, but vocalizations similar to barking also occur. Gestation lasts up to 65 days, with black newborns weighing between 340 and 430 g.

Despite not being considered in danger of extinction by the IUCN, all the countries in which it occurs classify it in some degree of threat, although the real situation of the populations is not known. It is estimated that there are about 23 thousand animals in the wild, being a popular animal in all zoos. It is threatened mainly because of the destruction of the cerrado to expand agriculture, pedestrian accidents, hunting and diseases caused by domestic dogs. However, it is adaptable and tolerant of changes caused by humans. The maned wolf currently occurs in areas of Atlantic Forest already deforested, where it did not originally occur.

Some communities carry superstitions about the maned wolf and may even harbor a certain aversion to the animal. But in general, the maned wolf provokes sympathy in humans and is therefore used as a flag species in the conservation of the Cerrado.

Index 1 Etymology 2 Taxonomy and evolution 3 Geographic distribution and habitat 4 Description 5 Behavior and ecology 5.1 Diet and foraging 5.2 Territory, area of ​​life and social behavior 5.3 Reproduction and life cycle 6 Conservation 7 Cultural aspects 7.1 Representations in cash 8 References 9 External links Etymology The maned wolf is also known as maned, watered, aguaraçu, mane wolf, mane wolf or red wolf. [4] [5] The term wolf originates from the Latin lupus. [4] Guará and aguará originated from the Tupi-Guarani agoa'rá, "down hair". [6] Aguaraçu came from the term for "guará grande". [4] Tupi-Guarani names of origin are more common in Argentina and Paraguay (aguará guazú), but other Spanish-speaking countries have other names like boroche in Bolivia and wolf of crin in Peru. [7] Lobo de crin (in Spanish) and maned wolf (in English) are allusions to the mane of the nape of the neck. [7]

Taxonomy and evolution

It is one of the endemic canids of South America. Phylogenetic relationships of South American canids. [8]

Chrysocyon brachyurus - maned wolf

Speothos venaticus - vinegar dog

Atelocynus microtis - short-eared bush dog

Cerdocyon thous - bush dog

Lycalopex genus - South American foxes

Phylogeny inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. The species was described in 1815, by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger, initially as Canis brachyurus. [3] Lorenz Oken classified it as Vulpes cancosa, and only in 1839, Charles Hamilton Smith described the genus Chrysocyon. [3] Later, other authors considered him to be a member of the genus Canis. [3]

Despite having belonged to the genera Canis and Vulpes, due to their morphological similarities, the maned wolf is not closely related to these genera. [9] Molecular studies have shown no relationship between the Chrysocyon genus and these canids. [8] [10] The maned wolf is one of the endemic canids of South America, along with the bush dog (Cerdocyon thous ), the vinegar dog (Speothus venaticus) and the genus Lycalopex. [8] Such a group is monophyletic according to genetic studies, but morphological studies include Nyctereutes procyonoides, who is originally from Asia. [8]A study comparing the brain anatomy of several canids, published in 2003, placed the maned wolf as akin to the falkland fox (Dusicyon australis) and the genus Lycalopex (considered by the authors as Pseudalopex). [11] Molecular studies corroborate that the maned wolf has a unique common ancestor with the falkland fox, which lived approximately 6 million years ago. [12] [13]However, recent genetic studies place the maned wolf as the closest phylogenetically to the vinegar dog (Speothos venaticus), forming a clade that is a sister group to another to which all other South American canids belong, such as the canine dog. short-eared bush (Atelocynus microtis), the bush dog (Cerdocyon thous) and the genus Lycalopex. [8] [10] This clade diverged from other South American canids about 4.2 million years ago, and the Chrysocyon and Speothos genera diverged about 3 million years ago. [8]Not many maned wolf fossils are known and those that were discovered originate from the Holocene and the Upper Pleistocene, unearthed in the Brazilian plateau, indicating that the species also evolved only in the open areas of Central Brazil. [14] Nor are subspecies recognized. [15]Geographic distribution and habitatThe Cerrado is the main habitat of the maned wolf. The maned wolf is an endemic canid from South America and inhabits the grasslands and thickets of the center of that continent. Its geographic distribution extends from the mouth of the Parnaíba River, in the Northeast of Brazil, through the lowlands of Bolivia, east of the Pampas del Heath, in Peru and the Paraguayan chaco, to Rio Grande do Sul. [3] Evidence of the maned wolf's presence in Argentina can be found up to Parallel 30, with recent sightings in Santiago del Estero. [2] Probably the maned wolf still occurs in Uruguay, given that a specimen was spotted in 1990, but since then there has been no record of the species in the country. [2]It is a fact that the maned wolf has disappeared in many regions at the southern limits of its geographical distribution, occurring almost only up to the border of Rio Grande do Sul with Uruguay. [16] Interestingly, the deforestation of the Atlantic Forest in the southeastern and eastern regions of Brazil favored the expansion of its geographic distribution to areas where it did not previously inhabit. [16] For this reason, records in Atlantic Forest areas in Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais have increased in recent years. [5] In the Pantanal the maned wolf occurs in highlands in the upper Paraguay, but avoids the lowlands of the Pantanal plain. [5] There are sporadic records of the species in transition areas between the Cerrado and the Amazon and the Caatinga. [5] The species can occur above 1,500 meters in altitude. [5]The maned wolf habitat is mainly characterized by open fields, with shrub vegetation and forest areas with open canopy, being a typical animal of the Cerrado. [15] It can also be found in areas that experience periodic flooding and man-made fields. [15] The maned wolf prefers environments with a low amount of shrubs and sparse vegetation. [15] More closed areas are used for rest during the day, especially in regions that have been greatly altered anthropically. [17] In these altered areas it can be seen in cultivated fields, Eucalyptus plantations and even in suburban areas. [18] Although the species can occur in anthropic environments, further studies are needed to quantify the degree of tolerance of the maned wolf to agricultural activities, but some authors suggest the preference for areas modified by man as opposed to well-preserved forest areas. [5] [15]DescriptionThe skull is similar to that of the wolf and the coyote. It is the largest canid in South America, reaching between 95 and 115 cm in length, with a tail measuring between 38 and 50 cm in length and reaching up to 90 cm at the height of the withers. [15] It weighs between 20.5 and 30 kg, with no significant differences in the weight of males and females. [15] It is an animal difficult to confuse with other South American canids, because of its long and thin legs, dense reddish coat and large ears. [15] The species' slender shape is probably an adaptation to displacement in open areas covered by grasses. [3]It is unmistakable among South American canids, being the largest among them. The body coat varies from golden red to orange and the hairs on the back of the neck and feet are black, with no undercoat in the coat. [3] The lower part of the jaw and the tip of the tail are white. [3] The hairs are long, reaching up to 8 cm in length along the body, forming a type of mane on the animal's neck. [7] There is almost no variation in the color of the coat, and it is not possible to identify individuals or sex from hair color, although an entirely black individual has already been recorded in northern Minas Gerais. [7] [19]The shape of the head looks like that of a fox. The snout is slender and the ears are large. [3] However, the skull is similar to that of the wolf (Canis lupus) and the coyote (Canis latrans). [3] The skull also has a prominent sagittal crest. The butcher tooth is reduced, the upper incisors small and the canines long. [3] Like the other canids, it has 42 teeth with the following dental formula: {\ displaystyle {\ tfrac {3.1.4.2} {3.1.4.3}} \ times 2 = 42} \ tfrac {3.1.4.2} {3.1.4.3} \ times 2 = 42 [20] Similar to the vinegar dog (Speothos venaticus), the maned wolf's rhyme extends to the upper lip, but the vibrissae are longer. [3]The maned wolf's footprints are similar to those of the dog, but have the pads disproportionately small when compared to the digits of the digits, which are wide open. [21] [22] The dog has foot pads up to 3 times larger than the maned wolf's footprints. [22] These pillows are triangular in shape. [22] The front footprints are between 7 and 9 cm long and 5.5 and 7 cm wide, and those on the back legs are between 6.5 and 9 cm long and 6.5 to 8.5 cm wide. [22 ] A characteristic that differentiates the maned wolf's footprints from that of other South American canids is the proximal union of the third and fourth digits. [3]Geneticame n the maned wolf has 38 chromosomes, with a karyotype similar to that of other canids. [3] Genetic diversity suggests that 15,000 years ago the species suffered a reduction in its diversity, called the bottleneck effect. Even so, this genetic diversity is greater than that of other canids. [5]average 0.7 seconds in 2 to 4 second intervals, a sequence that is repeated for up to 23 times. [7] Both males and females vocalize. [7] They tend to vocalize more at night, when they can be heard from several meters away. [35] Despite being associated with territoriality, vocalizations are more frequent among young people from the same territory, suggesting that they are only a sign for contact over great distances between known individuals and not for the defense of territory. [35]Direct social interactions are rare and maned wolves seem to avoid each other. [7] Agonistic encounters are rare but occur mainly between males, and have not been seen among females. [32] This results in almost no overlap in the male territories. [32]

Reproduction and life cycle

The puppies are born weighing between 340 and 430 g and have a reddish coat after the tenth week As in the diet, most of the data on the maned wolf's estrus and reproductive cycle comes from animals in captivity, mainly on the endocrinology of reproduction. [33] However, studies of animals in freedom have found that hormonal changes follow the same pattern of variation as animals in captivity. [33] At first females spontaneously ovulate, but some authors suggest that the presence of a male is important for estrus induction. [33]

Captive animals in the northern hemisphere breed between October and February and in the southern hemisphere between August and October. This indicates that the photoperiod has an important role in the reproduction of the maned wolf, mainly due to the production of semen. [3] [33] Usually estrus occurs annually [3] and the amount of sperm produced by the maned wolf is less when compared to that of other canids. [33]

Copulations take place during the 4-day period of estrus and are followed by up to 15 minutes of copulatory engagement. [3] The courtship behavior is no different from that of other canids, characterized by frequent approximations and anogenital investigation. [26]

The gestation lasts about 65 days, being born between 2 and 5 puppies, but 7 puppies have already been registered. [3] Births in May have already been observed in the Serra da Canastra, but captivity data suggest that births are concentrated between June and September. [5] The few data available on reproduction in the wild show that the maned wolf reproduces with difficulty and the mortality of young is high. Females can stay up to 2 years without reproducing. [33]

In captivity, reproduction is even more difficult, especially in temperate countries in the northern hemisphere. [33] The puppies are born weighing between 340 and 430 grams, black and changing to a reddish color after the tenth week. [3] The eyes open at about 9 days of age. [3] They are breastfed up to 4 months and fed by their parents through regurgitation until 10 months, starting at the 3rd week of age. [25] [26] At three months of age the puppies accompany the mother while she forages. [25] Parental care is shared between male and female, but females do this more often. [25] Data on male parental care have been collected from captive animals, and little is known about whether this occurs frequently in wild animals. [26] Sexual maturity is reached at 1 year of age and after that age they leave the territory in which they were born. [26]

[sciencespies]

This 12,000-year-old fossil jaw could be the oldest known dog in the Americas

https://sciencespies.com/humans/this-12000-year-old-fossil-jaw-could-be-the-oldest-known-dog-in-the-americas/

This 12,000-year-old fossil jaw could be the oldest known dog in the Americas

The fossil of a jaw bone could prove that domesticated dogs lived in Central America as far back as 12,000 years ago, according to a study by Latin American scientists.

The dogs, and their masters, potentially lived alongside giant animals, researchers say.

A 1978 dig in Nacaome, northeast Costa Rica, found bone remains from the Late Pleistocene.

Excavations began in the 1990s and produced the remains of a giant horse, Equus sp, a glyptodon (a large armadillo), a mastodon (an ancestor of the modern elephant) and a piece of jaw from what was originally thought to be a coyote skull.

“We thought it was very strange to have a coyote in the Pleistocene, that is to say 12,000 years ago,” Costa Rican researcher Guillermo Vargas told AFP.

“When we started looking at the bone fragments, we started to see characteristics that could have been from a dog.

“So we kept looking, we scanned it… and it showed that it was a dog living with humans 12,000 years ago in Costa Rica.”

The presence of dogs is a sign that humans were also living in a place.

“We thought it was strange that a sample was classified as a coyote because they only arrived in Costa Rica in the 20th century.”

First of its kind

The coyote is a relative of the domestic dog, although with a different jaw and more pointed teeth.

“The dog eats the leftovers from human food. Its teeth are not so determinant in its survival,” said Vargas.

“It hunts large prey with its human companions. This sample reflects that difference.”

Humans are believed to have emigrated to the Americas across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska during the last great ice age.

“The first domesticated dogs entered the continent about 15,000 years ago, a product of Asians migrating across the Bering Strait,” said Raul Valadez, a biologist and zooarcheologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

“There have never been dogs without people,” Valadez told AFP by telephone.

The presence of humans during the Pleistocene has been attested in Mexico, Chile and Patagonia, but never in Central America, until now.

“This could be the oldest dog in the Americas,” said Vargas.

So far, the oldest attested dog remains were found in Alaska and are 10,150 years old.

Oxford University has offered to perform DNA and carbon dating tests on the sample to discover more genetic information about the animal and its age.

The fossil is currently held at Costa Rica’s national museum but the sample cannot be re-identified as a dog without validation by a specialist magazine.

“This dog discovery would be the first evidence of humans in Costa Rica during a period much earlier” than currently thought, said Vargas.

“It would show us that there were societies that could keep dogs, that had food surpluses, that had dogs out of desire and that these weren’t war dogs that could cause damage.”

© Agence France-Presse

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