Signatures of the Anthropocene: Population Genomic Structure Detected in Pennsylvania Coyotes

Authors

• Craig A. Marshall, Princeton University
• Julia Halo, Bowling Green State University
• Kyle Van Why, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Yeraldi Loera, Princeton University
• Stavi R. Tennenbaum, Princeton University
• Casey Burton, Princeton University
• Ariana Di Landro, Princeton University
• Dominic Dominguez, Princeton University
• Daniel Duncan, Princeton University
• Madison Machado, Princeton University
• Catalina Posada, Princeton University
• Stephen J. Gaughran, Princeton University
• Madison Lichak, Princeton University
• Kristin Brzeski, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
• Elizabeth Heppenheimer, Princeton University
• Bridgett vonHoldt, Princeton University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2026

Department

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Abstract

Coyotes (Canis latrans) expanded across eastern North America in the last century and are ecological generalists capable of thriving across diverse habitats. Broad genetic surveillance has reported little spatial genetic patterning for this highly dispersive species. Here, we explore the genome-wide signatures of spatial patterns found in a 10-year study of 1199 coyotes from northeastern United States, with a temporal analysis of Pennsylvania coyotes. Despite their broad dispersal capability, we detected subtle but significant population structure, with two genetic clusters that have a weak clinal transition zone. This partitioning aligned qualitatively with patterns of human population density and activity. We inferred that gene flow between these genetic groups was associated with two different demographic expansions of coyotes eastward, south along the Great Lakes and separately along the northern Lakes towards northeastern United States. We identify Pennsylvania as a recent contact zone. Morphometric analyses revealed only modest differentiation between clusters and no robust temporal shifts, though a weak trend of increased body mass was noted in southwestern males. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that anthropogenic features likely influence fine-scale cryptic population structure, even in a highly dispersing and widespread mesopredator.

Publisher's Statement

© 2026 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by British Ecological Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73216

Publication Title

Ecology and Evolution

Recommended Citation

Marshall, C., Halo, J., Van Why, K., Loera, Y., Tennenbaum, S., Burton, C., Di Landro, A., Dominguez, D., Duncan, D., Machado, M., Posada, C., Gaughran, S., Lichak, M., Brzeski, K., Heppenheimer, E., & vonHoldt, B. (2026). Signatures of the Anthropocene: Population Genomic Structure Detected in Pennsylvania Coyotes. Ecology and Evolution, 16(3). http://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73216
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p2/2441

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Version

Publisher's PDF