Subspeciation in the Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming, Colorado, and Adjacent Areas — John Shaqi
Subspeciation in the Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming, Colorado, and Adjacent AreasAnderson, Sydney
Science
Subspeciation in the Meadow Mouse, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming, Colorado, and Adjacent Areas
Anderson, Sydney
Mice
To study geographic variation in color a method was devised as follows:
A single skin (KU 42407, from 1-1/2 miles east of Buckhorn in Weston
County, Wyoming) was selected as a representative of the paler mice and
arbitrarily given the number 2. A single skin (KU 17491, from 3 miles
east of Moran in Teton County, Wyoming) was selected as a
representative of the darker mice from the western part of Wyoming and
arbitrarily given the number 4. These mice were selected so that they
were respectively paler and darker than the estimated average of the
total variation within the populations to be studied, but the two mice
were not at the extremes of paleness and darkness. Comparisons were
based on visual inspection of the dorsal pelage as a whole. Skins were
compared with these two mice and given whole numbers from one to five.
If paler than the standard for 2, the skin was numbered one; if not
distinguishably paler or darker, it was given the number two; if
intermediate in color to the standards for 2 and 4 and not definitely
more nearly referable to one than the other, it was given the number
three; if it resembled the standard for 4, it was numbered four; and if
darker, it was given the number five. In this manner skins from a given
locality could be evaluated one by one and the results plotted,
averaged, and treated statistically. On Figure 1 the average values for
color of 32 series are mapped to show the geographic variation of
color. The following series of adults are the basis for Figure 1
(abbreviations for collections other than at the University of Kansas
are included in parentheses): Each locality is followed by the month
(or months) of capture, the number of specimens, and the average value
for color.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account