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Abstract Echinococcus multilocularisis a zoonotic cestode that uses canids as definitive hosts and rodents as intermediate hosts. In humans, this parasite is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Recently, its range has been expanding across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is increasingly detected in wild canids, domestic dogs, and humans across Canada and the United States. While this expansion has been documented in isolated studies across the continent, a lack of routine sampling in wildlife hinders our ability to anticipate and mitigate further spread ofE. multilocularis. We confirmed the presence ofE. multilocularisin Washington State, USA, using a combination of morphological and molecular techniques across carcasses and field-collected scats of coyotes (Canis latrans), this region’s most common wild canid. Morphological identification of adult worms was confirmed by next-generation sequencing. Over a third of all samples tested positive forE. multiloculariswhen all methodologies were combined. Sequencing revealed a haplotype ofE. multilocularismatching a documented haplotype originally of European origin in British Columbia, Canada. Our study provides the first confirmation ofE. multilocularisin a wild host on the west coast of the U.S and provides additional haplotype information crucial to tracking the geographical expansion of the parasite. We also provide a new next-generation sequencing primer targeting cestodes of canids. The difference in amplification between intestinal and fecal samples suggests that non-invasive fecal sampling using DNA metabarcoding—a popular method of helminth surveillance —may lead to underestimation of prevalence, hindering control measures. The global significance of these findings extends beyond North America;E. multilocularisis a major public health concern in Europe and Asia, where alveolar echinococcosis is increasingly diagnosed in humans. Our study highlights the urgent need for increased surveillance and improved diagnostic strategies worldwide, particularly in regions with significant human-wildlife contact. Author summaryParasites that are transmitted between wildlife, domestic animals, and people are an important part of global health. One such parasite isEchinococcus multilocularis, a small tapeworm of canids that can cause a severe, life-threatening disease in humans called alveolar echinococcosis. Many wild canid hosts of the parasite, such as coyotes, overlap significantly with domestic dogs, which facilitates transmission to humans. In Europe, Asia, and Arctic regions of North America,E. multilocularishas long been recognized as a major public health problem. In recent decades its range has expanded across the Northern Hemisphere, raising concern. In this study, we discoveredE. multilocularisin coyotes in a densely populated area of Washington State, USA — the first detection ofE. multilocularisin a wild host in the region. More than one-third of our coyote samples containedE. multilocularis, confirming that it is widespread in the area. Genetic testing showed that the strain we detected matched one previously found in Canada, originally from Europe. Our findings underscore the importance of monitoringE. multilocularisand other parasites in wildlife so that emerging public health threats can be detected early, reducing risk to people and pets. 

Abstract In the context of evolutionary time, cities are an extremely recent development. Although our understanding of how urbanization alters ecosystems is well developed, empirical work examining the consequences of urbanization on adaptive evolution remains limited. To facilitate future work, we offer candidate genes for one of the most prominent urban carnivores across North America. The coyote (Canis latrans) is a highly adaptable carnivore distributed throughout urban and nonurban regions in North America. As such, the coyote can serve as a blueprint for understanding the various pathways by which urbanization can influence the genomes of wildlife via comparisons along urban–rural gradients, as well as between metropolitan areas. Given the close evolutionary relationship between coyotes and domestic dogs, we leverage the well-annotated dog genome and highly conserved mammalian genes from model species to outline how urbanization may alter coyote genotypes and shape coyote phenotypes. We identify variables that may alter selection pressure for urban coyotes and offer suggestions of candidate genes to explore. Specifically, we focus on pathways related to diet, health, behavior, cognition, and reproduction. In a rapidly urbanizing world, understanding how species cope and adapt to anthropogenic change can facilitate the persistence of, and coexistence with, these species. 

Abstract In the past decade, studies have demonstrated that urban and nonurban wildlife populations exhibit differences in foraging behavior and diet. However, little is known about how environmental heterogeneity shapes dietary variation of organisms within cities. We examined the vertebrate prey components of diets of coyotes (Canis latrans) in San Francisco to quantify territory‐ and individual‐level dietary differences and determine how within‐city variation in land cover and land use affects coyote diet. We genotyped fecal samples for individual coyote identification and used DNA metabarcoding to quantify diet composition and individual niche differentiation. The highest contributor to coyote diet overall was anthropogenic food followed by small mammals. The most frequently detected species were domestic chicken, pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae), domestic pig, and raccoon (Procyon lotor). Diet composition varied significantly across territories and among individuals, with territories explaining most of the variation. Within territories (i.e., family groups), the amount of dietary variation attributed to among‐individual differences increased with green space and decreased with impervious surface cover. The quantity of anthropogenic food in scats also was positively correlated with impervious surface cover, suggesting that coyotes consumed more human food in more urbanized territories. The quantity of invasive, human‐commensal rodents in the diet was positively correlated with the number of food services in a territory. Overall, our results revealed substantial intraspecific variation in coyote diet associated with urban landscape heterogeneity and point to a diversifying effect of urbanization on population diet. 

Abstract Coloration in wildlife serves numerous biological purposes, including sexual selection signaling, thermoregulation, and camouflage. However, the physical appearance of wildlife also influences the ways in which humans interact with them. Wildlife conservation has largely revolved around humans’ propensity to favor charismatic megafauna, but human perceptions of wildlife species extend beyond conservation measures into our everyday interactions with individual wildlife. Our aesthetic appreciation for different species interplays with culture, lore, and the economic interest they carry. As such, one characteristic that may underpin and interact with social drivers of perception is the coloration of a particular individual. We provide case studies illustrating the dynamism in interactions people have with conspicuously colored wildlife – i.e., individuals that vary from their species-typical coloration. We focus on melanism, leucism, and albinism across four species commonly thought of as pests in the United States: coyotes (Canis latrans), eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and black-tailed deer (O. hemionus). 

Abstract Linear barriers pose significant challenges for wildlife gene flow, impacting species persistence, adaptation, and evolution. While numerous studies have examined the effects of linear barriers (e.g., fences and roadways) on partitioning urban and non‐urban areas, understanding their influence on gene flow within cities remains limited. Here, we investigated the impact of linear barriers on coyote (Canis latrans) population structure in Seattle, Washington, where major barriers (i.e., interstate highways and bodies of water) divide the city into distinct quadrants. Just under 1000 scats were collected to obtain genetic data between January 2021 and December 2022, allowing us to identify 73 individual coyotes. Notably, private allele analysis underscored limited interbreeding among quadrants. When comparing one quadrant to each other, there were up to 16 private alleles within a single quadrant, representing nearly 22% of the population allelic diversity. Our analysis revealed weak isolation by distance, and despite being a highly mobile species, genetic structuring was apparent between quadrants even with extremely short geographic distance between individual coyotes, implying that Interstate 5 and the Ship Canal act as major barriers. This study uses coyotes as a model species for understanding urban gene flow and its consequences in cities, a crucial component for bolstering conservation of rarer species and developing wildlife friendly cities. 

Abstract Contributory science—including citizen and community science—allows scientists to leverage participant‐generated data while providing an opportunity for engaging with local community members. Data yielded by participant‐generated biodiversity platforms allow professional scientists to answer ecological and evolutionary questions across both geographic and temporal scales, which is incredibly valuable for conservation efforts.The data reported to contributory biodiversity platforms, such as eBird and iNaturalist, can be driven by social and ecological variables, leading to biased data. Though empirical work has highlighted the biases in contributory data, little work has articulated how biases arise in contributory data and the societal consequences of these biases.We present a conceptual framework illustrating how social and ecological variables create bias in contributory science data. In this framework, we present four filters—participation,detectability,samplingandpreference—that ultimately shape the type and location of contributory biodiversity data. We leverage this framework to examine data from the largest contributory science platforms—eBird and iNaturalist—in St. Louis, Missouri, the United States, and discuss the potential consequences of biased data.Lastly, we conclude by providing several recommendations for researchers and institutions to move towards a more inclusive field. With these recommendations, we provide opportunities to ameliorate biases in contributory data and an opportunity to practice equitable biodiversity conservation. Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog. 

Abstract With novel human–wildlife interaction, predation regimes, and environmental conditions, in addition to often fragmented and smaller populations, urban areas present wildlife with altered natural selection parameters and genetic drift potential compared with nonurban regions. Plumage and pelage coloration in birds and mammals has evolved as a balance between avoiding detection by predator or prey, sexual selection, and thermoregulation. However, with altered mutation rates, reduced predation risk, increased temperatures, strong genetic drift, and increased interaction with people, the evolutionary contexts in which these colorations arose are radically different from what is present in urban areas. Regionally alternative color morphs or leucistic or melanistic individuals that aren't typical of most avian or mammalian populations may become more frequent as a result of adaptive or neutral evolution. Therefore, I conceptualize that, in urban areas, conspicuous color morphologies may persist, leading to an increase in the frequency of regionally atypical pelage coloration. In the present article, I discuss the potential for conspicuous color morphs to arise and persist in urban mammalian and avian populations, as well as the mechanisms for such persistence, as a result of altered environmental conditions and natural selection pressures.