David Mech, PhD
L. David Mech (“Dave”) is a Senior Research Scientist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and works at the St. Paul, Minnesota duty station.
Dr. Mech
Wolf Information
Dr. Mech has studied wolves since 1958 in Isle Royale National Park (1958-1961), Minnesota (1964 to present), Yellowstone National Park (1995 to Present) , Denali National Park (1986-1995). Each summer from 1986 through 2010, he lived with, and studied, a pack of wolves tolerant to humans on Ellesmere Island, in Canada’s High Arctic. He chaired the IUCN Wolf Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union from 1978 to 2013 when the group was absorbed into the Canid Specialist Group (CSG). Dr. Mech is now an advisor on wolves to the chair of the CSG. He is continuing his research on wolf ecology and behavior, predator-prey relations, population regulation, and social ecology.
Professional Experience
Senior Research Scientist, 1999 to present; U.S. Geological Survey
Research Wildlife Biologist, 1969 to 1999; Biological Resources Division of the USGS (formerly Division of Endangered Species Research, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Degree, Wildlife Ecology, Purdue University, 1962, Lafayette, IN
B.S. Degree, Conservation, Cornell University, 1958, Ithaca, NY
Honors and Awards
Aldo Leopold Memorial Award - The Wildlife Society
Science and Products
Predatory senescence in ageing wolves
Elk calf survival and mortality following wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park
Factors influencing predation on juvenile ungulates and natural selection implications
Precision of descriptors for percent marrow fat content for White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus viriginianus
Spatial and temporal differences in giant kidney worm, dictophyma renale, prevalence in Minnesota Mink, Mustela vison
Demographic effects of canine parvovirus on a free-ranging wolf population over 30 years
Effectiveness of lethal, directed wolf-depredation control in Minnesota
Wolf body mass cline across Minnesota related to taxonomy?
Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values in elk neonates
Testing global positioning system telemetry to study wolf predation on deer fawns
Survey of selected pathogens and blood parameters of northern yellowstone elk: Wolf sanitation effect implications
Possible use of foresight, understanding, and planning by wolves hunting muskoxen
Science and Products
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Predatory senescence in ageing wolves
It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting eAuthorsD.R. MacNulty, D.W. Smith, J.A. Vucetich, L. D. Mech, D.R. Stahler, C. PackerElk calf survival and mortality following wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park
We conducted a 3‐year study (May 2003–Apr 2006) of mortality of northern Yellowstone elk (Cervus elaphus) calves to determine the cause for the recruitment decline (i.e., 33 calves to 13 calves/100 adult F) following the restoration of wolves (Canis lupus). We captured, fit with radiotransmitters, and evaluated blood characteristics and disease antibody seroprevalence in 151 calves ≤6 days old (68AuthorsShannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, P.J. WhiteFactors influencing predation on juvenile ungulates and natural selection implications
Juvenile ungulates are generally more vulnerable to predation than are adult ungulates other than senescent individuals, not only because of their relative youth, fragility, and inexperience, but also because of congenital factors. Linnell et al.'s (Wildl. Biol. 1: 209-223) extensive review of predation on juvenile ungulates concluded that research was needed to determine the predisposition of theAuthorsShannon Barber-Meyer, L. David MechPrecision of descriptors for percent marrow fat content for White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus viriginianus
Based on 168 records of both verbal descriptors of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) femur-marrow fat and percentage of fat measured later, "gelatinous" served well to distinguish fat < 46% from higher percentages. "Waxy" distinguished fat > 56%.AuthorsL. D. MechSpatial and temporal differences in giant kidney worm, dictophyma renale, prevalence in Minnesota Mink, Mustela vison
Examination of 110 Mink (Mustela vison) carcasses from 1998 through 2007 indicated that the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale, occurred in Pine and Kanabec Counties of eastern Minnesota with annual prevalences of 0-92%. Worm prevalence increased from 20% in 1999 to 92% in 2001 and decreased to 6% in 2005. During 2000 to 2007, no worms were found in Mink from Anoka and Chisago Counties (n = 54)AuthorsL. D. MechDemographic effects of canine parvovirus on a free-ranging wolf population over 30 years
We followed the course of canine parvovinis (CPV) antibody prevalence in a subpopulation of wolves (Canis 1upus) in northeastern Minnesota from 1973, when antibodies were first detected, through 2004. Annual early pup survival was reduced by 70%, and wolf population change was related to CPV antibody prevalence. In the greater Minnesota population of 3,000 wolves, pup survival was reduced by 40-60AuthorsL. D. Mech, S.M. Goyal, W. J. Paul, W.E. NewtonEffectiveness of lethal, directed wolf-depredation control in Minnesota
Wolf (Canis lupus) depredations on livestock in Minnesota, USA, are an economic problem for many livestock producers, and depredating wolves are lethally controlled. We sought to determine the effectiveness of lethal control through the analysis of data from 923 government-verified wolf depredations from 1979 to 1998. We analyzed the data by 1) assessing the correlations between the number of wolvAuthorsE. K. Harper, W. J. Paul, L. D. Mech, S. WeisbergWolf body mass cline across Minnesota related to taxonomy?
Recent genetic studies suggest that in northern Minnesota two species of wolves (Canis lupus L., 1758 or western wolf and Canis lycaon Schreber, 1775 (= Canis rufus Audubon and Bachman, 1851) or eastern wolf) meet and hybridize. However, little morphological information is available about these two types of wolves in Minnesota. We analyzed the mass of 950 female wolves and 1006 males older than 1AuthorsL. D. Mech, W. J. PaulInterleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha values in elk neonates
Serological indicators of general condition would be helpful for monitoring or assessing ungulate wildlife. Toward that end, we report the 1st reference values for 2 cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-??), in neonatal elk (Cervus elaphus). We obtained blood samples from 140 calves ??? 6 days old in Yellowstone National Park during summer 2003-2005. TL-6 values ranAuthorsS. M. Barber-Meyer, C. R. Johnson, M.P. Murtaugh, L. D. Mech, P.J. WhiteTesting global positioning system telemetry to study wolf predation on deer fawns
We conducted a pilot study to test the usefulness of Global Positioning System (GPS) collars for investigating wolf (Canis lupus) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns. Using GPS collars with short location-attempt intervals on 5 wolves and 5 deer during summers 2002-2004 in northeastern Minnesota, USA, demonstrated how this approach could provide new insights into wolf hunAuthorsD. J. Demma, S. M. Barber-Meyer, L. D. MechSurvey of selected pathogens and blood parameters of northern yellowstone elk: Wolf sanitation effect implications
The restoration or conservation of predators could reduce seroprevalences of certain diseases in prey if predation selectively removes animals exhibiting clinical signs. We assessed disease seroprevalences and blood parameters of 115 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) wintering on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park [YNP] during 2000-2005 and compared them to data collected prior to wolAuthorsS. M. Barber-Meyer, P.J. White, L. D. MechPossible use of foresight, understanding, and planning by wolves hunting muskoxen
On Ellesmere Island in 2006, arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos) were observed making a two-pronged approach to a herd of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and, on another occasion, ambushing muskoxen. Both observations seemed to provide evidence that the wolves were using foresight, understanding, and planning. Although the possible use of insight and purposiveness has been documented in captive wolves,AuthorsL. David Mech