Data from: Wolf cranial morphology tracks population replacement in Fennoscandia

Humans have directly or indirectly contributed to the genetic, and thus
often phenotypic, changes of many species. Anthropogenic pressures, such
as persecution and hunting, have negatively affected wolf populations in
Northern Europe. In line with the genetic replacement that occurred during
the 20th century following the extirpation of wolves from Scandinavia
(Norway and Sweden) and their near-extirpation from Finland, we provide
evidence of morphological changes in wolf cranial morphology across these
populations. Using 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we show that
modern wolves in Scandinavia and Finland have, on average, crania with
wider frontal bones, wider and higher positioned zygomatic arches, and
more ventral flexion of the rostrum compared to the historical wolf
populations. Although both populations differ in the magnitude and
direction of shape change over time, the centroid size, or overall size of
the cranium, is significantly larger only in the modern Scandinavian
wolves. Different genetic origins of the historical and modern populations
have likely played a role in the observed morphological variation;
however, it is also likely that morphology has been affected by the
availability of different prey, which has changed over time.