{"id":{"repo_id":"sdstate","oai_identifier":"oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1162"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sdstate/oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-1162","repository":{"repo_id":"sdstate","name":"South Dakota State University","base_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The Taxonomic Status of Coyotes From Western South Dakota","abstract":"Expansion of the range of the coyote (Canis latrans) has been accompanied by numerous instances of hybridization with domestic dogs (C. familiaris). Recent studies have found a hybrid element in some wild coyote populations. The objectives of this study were to identify the taxonomic status of coyotes in western South Dakota, and to determine the degree of hybridization, if any, that is occurring between coyotes and domestic dogs in the state. Animals were collected from three areas in western South Dakota from September 1976 through January 1978. Skulls of 289 wild canids were cleaned; of these, 167 skulls from adults of known sex were suitable for analysis. Seven cranial and tooth measurements were taken on each skull. Discriminant function analysis and canonical variable analysis were used to determine the taxonomic status of specimens. Each specimen was compared to six target populations of possible parent species. No specimens analyzed could be positively identified as anything other than coyotes. Five individuals were of undetermined taxonomic status. The reason for the lack of hybrids in South Dakota coyote populations may be either that hybrids are not surviving in the wild or that hybridization is not occurring on a large scale. The two hypotheses are considered, and it is concluded that hybridization is not occurring to any great extent in western South Dakota coyote populations.","abstract_html":"Expansion of the range of the coyote (Canis latrans) has been accompanied by numerous instances of hybridization with domestic dogs (C. familiaris). Recent studies have found a hybrid element in some wild coyote populations. The objectives of this study were to identify the taxonomic status of coyotes in western South Dakota, and to determine the degree of hybridization, if any, that is occurring between coyotes and domestic dogs in the state. Animals were collected from three areas in western South Dakota from September 1976 through January 1978. Skulls of 289 wild canids were cleaned; of these, 167 skulls from adults of known sex were suitable for analysis. Seven cranial and tooth measurements were taken on each skull. Discriminant function analysis and canonical variable analysis were used to determine the taxonomic status of specimens. Each specimen was compared to six target populations of possible parent species. No specimens analyzed could be positively identified as anything other than coyotes. Five individuals were of undetermined taxonomic status. The reason for the lack of hybrids in South Dakota coyote populations may be either that hybrids are not surviving in the wild or that hybridization is not occurring on a large scale. The two hypotheses are considered, and it is concluded that hybridization is not occurring to any great extent in western South Dakota coyote populations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lauzon, Susan E."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Wildlife and Fisheries Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Frank Schitoskey","Charles G. Scalet"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1979,"date_issued":"1979-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1979-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:36Z","subjects":["Natural Resources and Conservation"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["<p>No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/</a></p>"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/162","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Frank Schitoskey","Charles G. 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Recent studies have found a hybrid element in some wild coyote populations. The objectives of this study were to identify the taxonomic status of coyotes in western South Dakota, and to determine the degree of hybridization, if any, that is occurring between coyotes and domestic dogs in the state. Animals were collected from three areas in western South Dakota from September 1976 through January 1978. Skulls of 289 wild canids were cleaned; of these, 167 skulls from adults of known sex were suitable for analysis. Seven cranial and tooth measurements were taken on each skull. Discriminant function analysis and canonical variable analysis were used to determine the taxonomic status of specimens. Each specimen was compared to six target populations of possible parent species. No specimens analyzed could be positively identified as anything other than coyotes. Five individuals were of undetermined taxonomic status. The reason for the lack of hybrids in South Dakota coyote populations may be either that hybrids are not surviving in the wild or that hybridization is not occurring on a large scale. The two hypotheses are considered, and it is concluded that hybridization is not occurring to any great extent in western South Dakota coyote populations."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Taxonomic Status of Coyotes From Western South Dakota"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Frank Schitoskey","Charles G. Scalet"],"dc:creator":["Lauzon, Susan E."],"dc:description.abstract":["Expansion of the range of the coyote (Canis latrans) has been accompanied by numerous instances of hybridization with domestic dogs (C. familiaris). Recent studies have found a hybrid element in some wild coyote populations. The objectives of this study were to identify the taxonomic status of coyotes in western South Dakota, and to determine the degree of hybridization, if any, that is occurring between coyotes and domestic dogs in the state. Animals were collected from three areas in western South Dakota from September 1976 through January 1978. Skulls of 289 wild canids were cleaned; of these, 167 skulls from adults of known sex were suitable for analysis. Seven cranial and tooth measurements were taken on each skull. Discriminant function analysis and canonical variable analysis were used to determine the taxonomic status of specimens. Each specimen was compared to six target populations of possible parent species. No specimens analyzed could be positively identified as anything other than coyotes. Five individuals were of undetermined taxonomic status. The reason for the lack of hybrids in South Dakota coyote populations may be either that hybrids are not surviving in the wild or that hybridization is not occurring on a large scale. The two hypotheses are considered, and it is concluded that hybridization is not occurring to any great extent in western South Dakota coyote populations."],"dc:identifier":["https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/162"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["<p>No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only<br /><a href=\"http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/\">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/</a></p>"],"dc:subject":["Natural Resources and Conservation"],"dc:title":["The Taxonomic Status of Coyotes From Western South Dakota"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Wildlife and Fisheries Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:36Z"}