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
In order to study certain variations, the following "method of pairs"
was used. Skulls of two series to be compared were matched in pairs so
that they corresponded in size and ontogenetic stage of development.
Then the two skulls of each pair were examined for differences in each
of the following features: size of circle inscribed by the upper
incisor teeth, width of nasal bones relative to their length, curvature
of the zygomatic arch, elongation of the braincase relative to its
width when viewed from the dorsal aspect, degree of indentation in the
anterior edge of the zygomatic arch near the rostrum, degree of
depression of the nasal bones when viewed from the side, width in the
vertical plane of the zygomatic arch at the suture between the
maxillary and jugal bones, length relative to width of the prominent
fenestra in the posterodorsal part of the squamosal bone, size of the
meatus of the auditory canal, distance between the internal margin of
an occipital condyle at its posteriormost point and the tip of the
paraoccipital process of the same side of the skull, size of the
foramen magnum, vertical height of the supraoccipital bone from the
dorsalmost point on the margin of the foramen magnum to the midpoint of
the lambdoidal crest, constriction posteriorly or narrowness of the
incisive foramen relative to its length, distance across the
premaxillary bone from the anteriormost point of the incisive foramen
to the posteriormost point of the margin of the alveolus of the upper
incisor, area of the maxillary septum (Howell 1926:112, or "zygomatic
plate" of Ellerman 1941:1), acuminateness of the anterior border of the
palatine opening (internal nares), size of auditory bullae, size of
foramen ovale, acuteness of the angle between the basioccipital and
basisphenoidal bones at the suture between them (degree to which the
area of the suture is raised between the bullae when viewed from the
ventral aspect), width of first upper molar tooth, least distance
between alveoli of first upper molars. Any differential feature present
in more than 75 per cent of the pairs of animals is reported in the
discussion of the subspecies concerned. The significance of each
difference reported was calculated by the Chi-square test and the
confidence limit is given in each case. The probability used in the
Chi-square formula is one-half of the percentage of all pairs compared
in which the skulls were different in regard to the character being
considered. For example, in 68 per cent of the total number of pairs of
skulls compared in this study a difference in the size of the auditory
bullae was noted. Therefore the probability that a specified skull of a
pair will have larger bullae than the other skull was taken as 34 per
cent. A different probability for each feature compared was derived in
like manner.
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