Morphometric Variation in the Mandible of Microtus Arvalis and Microtus Agrestis (Rodentia: Cricetidae)
Year: 1996
Type: article
Abstract: Skulls of the sibling species Microtus arvalis and M. agrestis were collected from the pellets of Barn owls in France, Germany and the Netherlands. Initial identification was made according to the shape of the second upper molar, although this is not 100% reliable. Multivariate statistical analysis of 45 distance measurements of the lower mandible clearly revealed two groups which corresponded to the two species, except for 17 specimens from France. In further analyses the number of measurements was reduced to six and discriminant functions derived which yielded 100% correct allocation of the identified material, and a mean a posteriori probability of 98.8% correct allocation of the unidentified material. Within-species geographic variation in mandible shape was found and is parallel in the two species, suggesting either similar adaptation (genetic or ontogenetic) to a geographically varying environment, or hybridisation with genetic introgression.
Source: Netherlands Journal of Zoology
Institution: Wageningen University & Research
Language: English
Subfield: Geometry and Topology
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2137791548