Late Pleistocene Mountain Goats (Oreamnos americanus) from Vancouver Island: Biogeographic Implications
Nagorsen DW and Keddie G. 2000. Late Pleistocene Mountain Goats (Oreamnos americanus) from Vancouver Island: Biogeographic Implications. Journal of Mammalogy. 81(3):666-675
From the Abstract: "Although Oreamnos americanus is absent from most Pacific Coast Islands, including Vancouver Island, 12000-year-old skeletal remains were recovered in 2 caves on northern Vancouver Island. The specimens may represent early postglacial immigrants or a relict population derived from a coastal glacial refugium. Limb bones of the fossils are within the size range of modern specimens, suggesting a postglacial origin. O. americanus probably became extinct on Vancouver Island during the early Holocene warming, but inadequacies in the prehistoric faunal record prohibit a determination of a terminal date. The modern distribution of O. americanus on Pacific Coast islands reflects both prehistoric extinctions and low colonization rates across water barriers." Relevant to the ongoing mountain goat issue at Olympic National Park, WA.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Nagorsen, D; Keddie, G
- Units
- GLBA , OLYM , SEAN
- Keywords
- Alaska, Animal Studies, Biogeography, British-Columbia, Climatic Change, Exotic, Extinction, History, Holocene, island biogeography, Mammals, Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), Oreamnos americanus, Pleistocene, refugium, Vegetation