Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E81
Höfundar / Authors: Anna Bára Másdóttir (1), Snæbjörn Pálsson (2), Nicolas Lecomte (3), Bruce McAdam (4), Ester Rut Unnsteinsdóttir (5)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Háskóli Íslands, 2. Náttúrufræðistofnun
Kynnir / Presenter: Anna Bára Másdóttir
Tracking phenotypic trait variation is crucial for understanding evolutionary responses to environmental pressures and predicting population adaptability to changing conditions. Morphological variation, particularly in feeding structures, provides insight into ecological niche specialization, yet how resource availability can modulate such specialization is unclear. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) in Iceland offers an ideal model system for examining such variation, as it is the sole native terrestrial top predator and exhibits regional differences with two proposed ecotypes (coastal vs. inland) based on diet and niche use. This study aims to quantify this variation by analysing mandible morphology across three regions in Iceland. Mandible shape, used as an indicator of ecotypic differentiation, was assessed using the Natural Science Institute of Iceland’s extensive collection of ~13 000 fox mandibles sampled since 1979, providing a unique opportunity to explore spatio-temporal patterns in phenotypic traits and link them to dietary preferences. Our results reveal significant mandibular variation associated with ecotypic and dietary differences, with distinctions in the mandibular ramus of coastal foxes, consistent with their marine-based diet. Population size at birth also influenced mandible shape, suggesting resource competition during rearing contributes to lasting structural changes, creating a potential fingerprint of population density and resource accessibility.