Geographical clines in the size of the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis)
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BALCIAUSKAS, Linas, AMSHOKOVA, Albina Kh, BALCIAUSKIENE, Laima, BENEDEK, Ana Maria, CICHOCKI, Jan, CSANADY, Alexander, DE MENDONCA, Philippe Gil, NISTREANU, Victoria. Geographical clines in the size of the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis). In: Integrative Zoology, 2020, nr. 1(15), pp. 55-68. ISSN 1749-4877. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12407
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Integrative Zoology
Numărul 1(15) / 2020 / ISSN 1749-4877

Geographical clines in the size of the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12407

Pag. 55-68

Balciauskas Linas1, Amshokova Albina Kh2, Balciauskiene Laima1, Benedek Ana Maria3, Cichocki Jan4, Csanady Alexander5, de Mendonca Philippe Gil6, Nistreanu Victoria7
 
1 Nature Research Centre, Vilnius,
2 Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories RAS,
3 Lucian Blaga University Sibiu,
4 University of Zielona Gora,
5 University of Presov,
6 University of Lisbon,
7 Institute of Zoology
 
 
Disponibil în IBN: 10 martie 2020


Rezumat

Patterns of body size variation along geographical gradients have long been searched for and generalized into eco-geographical rules. However, no rodent species has yet been analyzed in relation to the 3 dimensions of latitude, longitude and altitude. We analyzed geographical clines and dimorphism of body and skull size in the herb field mouse (Apodemus uralensis) across the species range, based on field data and on data from the literature. Sexual dimorphism in adult A. uralensis was not expressed at a large scale, while local patterns were inconsistent. Age-dependent size changes were most expressed in adult individuals: most characters of adults exceeded in size those of subadults, while subadult–juvenile size differences were only significant in body weight and length, zygomatic skull width, length of cranial diastema and breadth of braincase. Despite central morphological niches along the clines being separated, A. uralensis populations showed a high degree of size overlap in morphological space. We found the species to be characterized by high size variability, with the largest individuals inhabiting the eastern and southern edges of the distribution range. Tail, hind foot and ear lengths were largest in the southern part of the range, in agreement with Allen's rule. The main measurements that we analyzed, namely body mass, zygomatic skull width and condylobasal skull length, show the presence of 3 clines in the size of adult A. uralensis: (i) a decreasing south–north cline, opposing Bergmann's rule; (ii) an increasing west–east cline, in accordance with Murphy's rule; and (iii) an increasing altitudinal cline.

Cuvinte-cheie
altitudinal cline, Apodemus uralensis, east–west cline, south–north cline, species range