Subfossil Records of the Arctic Fox (<i>Alopex Lagopus</i>) Compared to Its Present Distribution in Norway

Abstract

ABSTRACT. We studied the prehistoric and historic distributions of arctic foxes in Norway by examining material and reports from archaeological excavations. A total of 44 arctic fox bones were found in 15 excavations, all of which were younger than 5000 years before present (B.P.). The majority of these sites was located within or close to the present distribution of arctic foxes. Additionally, 44 naturally deposited arctic fox bones were found in two excavations dated 36 000-28 000 and 13 000 B.P. respectively, indicating that the arctic fox also lived along the Norwegian coast in the Pleistocene. No arctic fox bone was dated to the period 9OOO-5000 B.P., and the species may have been rare or absent during this comparatively warm period. Since most bones (61%) were from the distal part of the limbs, the foxes may have been skinned elsewhere and transported to the site of deposition. Bones from red foxes were found in three excavations within the present distribution of arctic foxes, indicating that the arctic fox was relatively more abundant than red foxes during the late prehistoric and the historic periods.in south Norway, but less abundant in north Norway. Key words: arctic fox, red fox, prehistoric and historic distributions, archaeological excavations, Norway RÉSUMÉ. On a &di6 les distributions prdhistorique et historique du renard arctique en Norvkge, en examinant du materiel et des rapports provenant de fouilles archkologiques. Au total, 44 os de renard arctique ont kt6 trouvds dans des fouilles effectuees sur 15 sites, et tous les os dataient de moins de 5000 ans avant le prdsent. La majoritd de ces emplacements &ait situ& B l'intkrieur ou prks de la distribution actuelle du renard arctique. On a en outre trouve 44 os de renard arctique ddposds naturellement dans deux fouilles datees respectivement de 36 000 B 28 000 ans avant le prdsent et de 13 O00 ans avant le present, ce qui rdvkle que le renard arctique vivait aussi le long du rivage norvegien au cours du pldistockne. Aucun os de renard arctique n'a kt6 datd de la pBriode allant de 9OOO B 5000 avant le present et il est possible que l'esp&ce ait et6 rare ou absente au cours de cette @riode comparativement temp&&. fitant donne que la plupart des os (61 p. cent) proviennent de la partie distale des membres, il se peut que les renards aient dtd dkpouilles ailleurs et transportes B l'emplacement où ils ont kt6 d6posds. On a trouve des os de renard roux dans trois fouilles il l'intdrieur de la distribution actuelle du renard arctique, ce qui r6vkle que ce dernier Btait relativement plus abondant que le renard roux en Norvkge m6ridionale, B la fin de la phriode prkhistorique et au cours de la pCriode historique, mais moins abondant en Norvkge septentrionale. Mots cles: renard arctique, renard roux, distributions prkhistorique et historique, fouilles archkologiques, NorvkgeTraduit pour le Journal par NBsida Loyer.

Exclusion by interference competition? The relationship between red and arctic foxes

“…However, we would expect the interaction to occur on a much smaller scale, through interference competition in red fox home ranges. This was also indicated by the results in Frafjord and Hufthammer (1994). Both red and arctic foxes are highly dependent on rodents for prey Kaikusalo and Angerbjörn 1995).…”

“…Yet, these authors rejected interspecific competition as an explanation for the non-recovery of the arctic fox, on the grounds that the two fox species have co-existed for a long time, e.g. in Scandinavia (Frafjord and Hufthammer 1994) and in the Yukon Territory (Smits and Slough 1993). However, we would expect the interaction to occur on a much smaller scale, through interference competition in red fox home ranges.…”

The evolutionary consequence of the individualistic response to climate change

“…During this time the Norway lemming and arctic fox's distribution extended from its modern range in Fennoscandia to as far south as the Belgian Ardennes, central France and beyond (Stewart et al, 2003;Sommer & Benecke, 2005). The existence of populations of these species in Fennoscandia itself during the Late Pleistocene is attested by the fossil record (Larsen et al, 1987;Frafjord & Hufthammer, 1994;van Valen et al, 1996) and inferred from mtDNA work (Fedorov & Stenseth, 2001). This signifies that the late Pleistocene populations of more southern reaches of Europe are unlikely to have contributed to the modern gene pool in Fennoscandia (Stewart et al, 2003).…”

Ancient DNA reveals lack of postglacial habitat tracking in the arctic fox

“…Today, the arctic fox is restricted to the tundra regions in the northern hemisphere, including regions that were glaciated during the LGM, such as Scandinavia (16). There are three possible hypotheses for the origin of the Scandinavian arctic fox: (i) Scandinavia was colonized from the south by foxes tracking the retreating ice edge at the end of the LGM, (ii) Scandinavia was colonized by foxes expanding from the ice-free regions in the east (e.g., Beringia) after the end of the LGM, and (iii) the arctic fox survived the LGM in a local Scandinavian refugium (17). These three scenarios are all plausible because Scandinavia has been colonized from both the south and east by other species (3), and LGM survival in a local refugium has been suggested for the Norwegian lemming (Lemmus lemmus) (18).…”