Giorgos Giannatos

Abstract Among the many pathways through which human activity can shape biodiversity patterns, modification of biotic interactions tends to be overlooked. Here we show how interacting anthropogenic, biotic and abiotic factors drive the continental-scale expansion of a highly adaptive mesocarnivore, the golden jackal. Using a dataset of playback surveys conducted across Europe, we find that the presence of an apex predator, the grey wolf, is the primary factor limiting jackal occurrence.