DOI: 10.5061/dryad.w9ghx3fz8
title: Data from: Challenging conventional views on the elevational limits of pronghorn habitat

description: Innovations in animal tracking technologies have allowed researchers to
 gain an unprecedented view into the daily lives of animals, advancing our
 understanding of their ecology, evolution, and physiology, while also
 providing insights that can defy conventional knowledge. Here, we
 present an example that challenges conventional knowledge of what
 constitutes typical pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) habitat by
 highlighting the use of extraordinary high-elevation summer ranges in the
 Carter Mountain area within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in
 Wyoming, USA. Furthermore, this discovery of high-elevation habitat use,
 which only occurs in a portion of the population, raises questions about
 the processes that generate and maintain diversity in animal movement
 tactics across individuals that share a common winter range and have
 access to the same resources.
description: Data was collected from GPS collars deployed on n=128, adult,
 female pronghorn (<em>Antilocapra americana</em>) near Cody,
 WY, USA in 2019. The study duration was 2 years (November 2019 - November
 2021).  
description: # Challenging conventional views on the elevational limits of pronghorn
 habitat
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w9ghx3fz8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w9ghx3fz8) This is the repository for the GPS dataset from a Scientific Naturalist article published in *Ecology*, describing the use of high-elevation habitat by pronghorn in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  ## Description of the data and file structure This repository includes a shapefile ("AllGPS_Jan2022.shp") with all GPS collar data collected for the study along with a csv file ("DeploymentData.csv") with information on GPS collar deployment. **The shapefile includes the following database information:** animalID - The individual identifier for each collared pronghorn (this identifier is consistent across the csv and the shapefile). date - date (YYYY/MM/DD) year - year (YYYY) month - month day - day of the month hour - hour latitude - Latitude (rounds to 2 significant digits) in WGS 84 longitude - Latitude (rounds to 2 significant digits) in WGS 84 easting - UTM easting in zone 12 N, WGS 84 northing - UTM northing in zone 12 N, WGS 84 horizontal - horizontal error in GPS (in meters) **The csv has the following columns:** animalID - The individual identifier for each collared pronghorn (this identifier is consistent across the csv and the shapefile). captureDate - The date (MM/DD/YYYY) the individual was captured. deathDate - The data (MM/DD/YYYY) the individual died, if applicable. If this column is blank, this means the individual did not die during the study duration. captureDeath - Coded as N or Y, N indicates that there was no captured related death, while Y indicates the opposite. dropDate - The date (MM/DD/YYYY) the collar was programmed to drop off. MigStatus - Coded as yes, no or nomad. yes indicated that the individual was classified as a migrant, no indicated that the individual was classified as a resident and nomad indicates that the individual was classified as a nomad. All classifications were done by Dr. Hall Sawyer based on observations of annual GPS movements and Net Squared Displacement profiles. ## Sharing/Access information If you want to re-use this data, we recommend contacting either Ellen Aikens ([eaikens@uwyo.edu](mailto:eaikens@uwyo.edu)) or Hall Sawyer ([hsawyer@west-inc.com](mailto:hsawyer@west-inc.com)) to discuss the study system and data collection methods. If you have questions after reviewing this readme file, please contact the corresponding author, Ellen Aikens.