The Vancouver Island wolverine may no longer roam this side of the strait, but then again, it appears the subspecies never really existed in the first place.

New research out of Vancouver Island University suggests that the Island wolverine, a red-listed species in B.C., is not, it turns out, distinct from wolverines found on the Mainland and therefore not at-risk after all.

Proving this wasnB次元官网网址檛 easy, as there have been no confirmed wolverine sightings on the Island since 1992.

B次元官网网址淭his is what makes it so interesting. TheyB次元官网网址檙e a bit of a sasquatch story for the Island,B次元官网网址� said Jamie Gorrell, a VIU biology professor.

Many of the records of wolverines on the Island came from old trappersB次元官网网址� logs, as the animalsB次元官网网址� pelts were sought-after and valuable, said VIU biology grad Evan Hessels.

Gorrell speculated that land-use changes over the years and fragmentation of forests have been other factors in wolverinesB次元官网网址� decline. Whatever the reasons, wolverines on the Island are B次元官网网址渁re rare and possibly extirpated,B次元官网网址� wrote Hessels, Gorrell, Eric Lofroth and Richard Weir in a research paper published last month in the Journal of Mammalogy.

Wolverines are shy and steer clear of human activity, which makes them hard to find at the best of times, even in areas where their population is known to be higher.

B次元官网网址淗ow do you study something that you canB次元官网网址檛 see?B次元官网网址� Gorrell asked. B次元官网网址淚nstead of trying to go out and catch wolverines from the Island, what we decided to do was take a trip back in time and go to the museums.B次元官网网址�

Gorrell and Hessels visited the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at UBC and scraped bits of dried flesh from skulls and drilled into skulls, teeth, claws and bones. They collected dust, broke it down chemically in the lab with enzymes, studied B次元官网网址渃ertain spots in the genomeB次元官网网址� and compared multiple samples.

B次元官网网址淭he coolest part in my opinion was getting DNA out of close to 100-year-old museum specimens,B次元官网网址� Hessels said. B次元官网网址淚t was definitely a happy moment when we were able to get success with that.B次元官网网址�

The researchers didnB次元官网网址檛 have any preconceptions about what they might find, though Hessels said B次元官网网址測ou always hope to be surprised.B次元官网网址�

Gorrell said the 1935 research that classified the Vancouver Island wolverine subspecies was based on skull measurements and said itB次元官网网址檚 not uncommon now for old taxonomic studies to be re-evaluated using DNA.

Gorrell said his teamB次元官网网址檚 findings could potentially lead the B.C. government to review the classification of the at-risk Vancouver Island wolverine, as wolverines elsewhere in B.C. are considered threatened but not at-risk.

B次元官网网址淚f it remains a subspecies, then we have a real problem if this subspecies is endangered or potentially extinct, which is terrible,B次元官网网址� Gorrell said. B次元官网网址淚f they simply say itB次元官网网址檚 not a subspecies, then it maybe takes away that problem for us, and then those resources to figure it out can be diverted to another species which is maybe in a worse situation.B次元官网网址�

The findings open up the possibility for human intervention to re-introduce wolverines on Vancouver Island, but the researchers said thatB次元官网网址檚 unlikely. While increased biodiversity is desirable, introducing a predator into Vancouver Island marmot habitat would create a conflict of interest and the journal article suggests B次元官网网址減riorities should be weighed appropriately.B次元官网网址� And questions would need to be answered first, Gorrell said.

B次元官网网址淚f [wolverines] did get eliminated from the Island, why? What was the factor that drove them out?B次元官网网址� he asked. B次元官网网址淚f we havenB次元官网网址檛 addressed that, then trying to bring them back would probably just be a big waste of time, effort and money.B次元官网网址�

Theoretically, wolverines could swim over via the Discovery Islands, which could explain an unconfirmed sighting in Sayward just last month. Gorrell said thereB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渘o reasonB次元官网网址� to think theyB次元官网网址檙e cut off from Vancouver Island.

B次元官网网址淢ultiple unconfirmed sightings are reported every year, raising the possibility that the population still exists today,B次元官网网址� notes the journal article, adding that the animals are elusive, nocturnal and live in mostly remote regions. B次元官网网址淪ome wolverines may still roam undetected.B次元官网网址�

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