Distribution of the Southern birch mouse (Sicista subtilis) in East-Poland: Morphometric variations in discrete European populations of superspecies S. subtilis
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Tamás Cserkész
Abstract
We report new records for the inadequately known Southern birch mouse Sicista subtilis in Poland. This species was found in Poland in 1994 by catching a live specimen by hand and to date there has been no other data on this species. The Polish population is most likely an isolated population of S. subtilis but its taxonomic status has not been studied yet. According to our results, it is a morphometric variation or a new subspecies of S. subtilis. Its craniometrical size is in general smaller than that of the Ukrainian “core” population. Morphometrically, it is similar to the S. subtilistrizona living in Hungary. It is probable that the size reduction and the microevolutionary divergence in morphometry most likely result from a long isolation in the case of trizona or a shorter isolation of the Polish population. However, the geographic isolation of the Polish subpopulations in the Lublin region has not been adequate to produce significant morphologic variation in the crania. Hypothetically, the Polish specimens with smaller skulls may also be affected by differences in prey base, which is reflected in the different habitats. The craniometrical characteristics of the geographically most isolated Hungarian trizona population are the smallest in the superspecies S. subtilis.
©2009 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
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Articles in the same Issue
- Review Article
- Mammals of the Mediterranean islands: homogenisation and the loss of biodiversity
- Original Studies
- Changes in the distribution, abundance and status of Arabian Sand Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica) in Saudi Arabia: A review
- Habitat use of wild ungulates in fragmented landscapes of the Lacandon Forest, Southern Mexico
- Distribution of the Southern birch mouse (Sicista subtilis) in East-Poland: Morphometric variations in discrete European populations of superspecies S. subtilis
- On the conspecifity of Allactaga hotsoni Thomas, 1920 and Allactaga firouzi Womochel, 1978 (Rodentia: Dipodoidea)
- Molecular systematics of Neotropical spiny mice (Neacomys: Sigmodontinae, Rodentia) from the Guianan Region
- Short Notes
- Habitat use and separation between the Chinese serow (Capricornis milneedwardsi) and the Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus) in winter
- Seasonal changes in American mink (Neovison vison) signs related to Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) presence
- Estimation of the birth season of Myocastor coypus (Molina 1782) by characterisation of prenatal developmental stages
- Observations on the growth of Chinchillula sahamae (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) in captivity
- Molecular and morphometric evidence validates a Chacoan species of the grey leaf-eared mice genus Graomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae)
- Book Reviews
- Book Reviews
- Meeting announcements
- Meetings
