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History of canids in Chile and impacts on prey adaptations
  • Benjamín Silva,
  • Meredith Root-Bernstein
Benjamín Silva
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Meredith Root-Bernstein
CNRS
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Abstract

Artiodactyl prey species of Chile, especially guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are reported to be very susceptible to predation by pack hunting feral dogs. It has been previously suggested that guanacos and endemic South American deer may have evolved in the absence of pack-hunting cursorial predators. However, the paleoecology of canid presence in southern South America and Chile is unclear. Here, we review the literature on South American and Chilean canids, their distributions, ecologies and hunting behaviour. We consider both wild and domestic canids, including Canis familiaris breeds. We establish two known antipredator defense behaviours of guanacos: predator inspection of ambush predators, e.g. Puma concolor, and rushing at and kicking smaller cursorial predators, e.g. Lycalopex culpaeus. We propose that since the late Pleistocene extinction of hypercarnivorous group-hunting canids east of the Andes, there were no native species creating group-hunting predation pressures on guanacos. Endemic deer of Chile may have never experienced group hunting selection pressure from native predators. Even hunting dogs (or other canids) used by indigenous groups in the far north and extreme south of Chile (and presumably the center as well) appear to have been used primarily within ambush hunting strategies. This may account for the susceptibility of guanacos and other prey species to feral dog attacks. We detail seven separate hypotheses that require further investigation in order to assess how best to respond to the threat posed by feral dogs to the conservation of native deer and camelids in Chile and other parts of South America.
06 Jan 2021Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
08 Jan 2021Submission Checks Completed
08 Jan 2021Assigned to Editor
11 Jan 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Mar 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Mar 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
14 Apr 20211st Revision Received
15 Apr 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Apr 2021Submission Checks Completed
15 Apr 2021Assigned to Editor
16 Apr 2021Editorial Decision: Accept