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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
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Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
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Wolf cranial morphology tracks population replacement in Fennoscandia
Dominika Bujnáková1, Jouni Aspi1, Carsten Gundlach2
1Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Royal Society Open Science
|June 19, 2025
Summary
Modern wolves in Scandinavia and Finland show distinct cranial changes compared to historical populations. These evolutionary shifts in wolf morphology are linked to human impacts and changing prey availability.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Zoology
- Conservation genetics
Background:
- Human activities, including persecution and hunting, have significantly impacted wolf populations in Northern Europe.
- Historical extirpation and subsequent genetic replacement in Scandinavian and Finnish wolf populations occurred during the 20th century.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate morphological changes in wolf cranial morphology in Scandinavia and Finland.
- To compare modern wolf cranial morphology with historical populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three-dimensional landmark-based geometric morphometrics.
- Analyzed cranial morphology of historical and modern wolf populations from Scandinavia and Finland.
Main Results:
- Modern wolves exhibit wider frontal bones, wider and higher zygomatic arches, and more ventral rostrum flexion compared to historical wolves.
- Modern Scandinavian wolves show a significant increase in cranial centroid size, unlike Finnish wolves.
- Observed morphological variations differ in magnitude and direction between Scandinavian and Finnish populations over time.
Conclusions:
- Genetic replacement and altered prey availability likely influenced the observed cranial morphological changes in wolves.
- Anthropogenic pressures have driven significant evolutionary adaptations in wolf populations.
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