2 Interdisciplinary Paleontology: New approaches to solving complex paleontological problems (Part I)
Paleontology is increasingly drawing upon insight from other disciplines to solve complex problems and generate more accurate reconstructions of past life. This session will illustrate novel interdisciplinary research and provide tools to develop such approaches.
Monday, 18 May 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alvarado F
New Mexico’s historically been home to wolves, but preliminary results show that the nationwide seven- to twelve-fold decrease in morphological variation is not due to extirpation since the 1880s.
Paper number: 2-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:20 AM – 8:40 AM
Authors
Abstract
New Mexico has historically been home to five subspecies of wolves, including the Mexican grey wolf (Canis lupus baileyi, which often includes the previous designation Canis lupus mogollonensis). Following the 1960s declaration of Mexican grey and red wolves (Canis rufus) as federally protected and the 1970s declaration of those same groups as extinct in the wild, diversity preservation has been a concern. Morphological variation can be quantified using paleontological methods, including geometric morphometrics.
Nearly 800 North American canids (grey (Canis lupus), red, and Mexican grey wolves, coyotes (Canis latrans), and canid hybrids) were included in geometric morphometric analysis on cranial photographs. The canids were split into analytical groups based on geographic origin, noted species, and captivity status. Each group was split into origin decades, and all specimens were plotted together. Previous findings noted that North American canids since the late 1800s/early 1900s type specimens exhibit a seven to twelve fold decrease in morphological diversity. Preliminary findings from further analysis indicates that the decrease has not been over time as expected. Specimens from the 1880s and 2010s, as well as the decades between, group together in principal components analysis. The first seven principal components were examined, which covers 93% of the variance. Across the researched principal components, specimens clustered with outliers that were not predominantly older specimens. Principal components 2 through 7, showed a single clustering of specimens, with specimens progressively farther afield. Principal component one (plotted against principal component two) showed two clusters of specimens, with a few specimens between from the following decades: 1880, 1900, 1910, 1940, 1980, 1990. The clusters represent 1940-2000 and 1880-2010 with no apparent decadal sorting. More data for each canid group over time is needed to strengthen this analysis. Further work will be needed to determine why this morphological clustering is occurring. Current speculation is environmental specialization, though regional differences and captive breeding settings introduce environmental diversity. The effect of plasticity is unknown.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4
doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410633
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