Cranial sexual dimorphis and microgeographical variability of the forest dormouse (Dormouse nitedula PALL., 1779)

Ağaç faresi, Dryomys nitedula'mn Bulgaristan'da yaşadığı üç ana lokaliteden (Orta Balkan, Vitoşa Dağı ve güneydoğu Bulgaristan'daki tepelik alanlar) toplanan 64 ergin örnekte kraniometrik değerler eşeysel dimorfızm ve mikrocoğrafık kriterler açısından araştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar ağaç farelerinin kranial karekterlerinde belirgin bir eşeysel dimorfızmin var olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Örneklerin eşeyini belirleyen bir diskriminant fonksiyon 48 kranial karakterde çalışmaktadır. Hem erkek hemde dişilerin kraniometrik karaterleri mikrocoğrafık olarak belirlenebilir, ancak populasyonlar arasında yüksek bir kraniometrik benzerlik te korunur. Görünüşte morfolojik benzerliklere rağmen Bulgaristan ağaç farelerinde saptanan belirgin mikrocoğrafık varyasyon tiplerinin ana nedenleri ekolojik farklılıklar olabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

morfometri, eşeysel farklılık, istatistiksel analizler, coğrafi çeşitlilik, orman ekolojisi, Bulgaristan

Ağaç faresinde (Dryomys nitedula PALL.,1779) kranial eşeysel dimorfizm ve mikrocoğrafik değişkenlik

Craniometric relationship in the Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) were studied on 64 adult specimens collected in the three main localities of the species in Bulgaria - Central Balkan, Vitosha Mountain and the foothill territories in Southeastern Bulgaria. Samples were subject to analysis of sexual dimorphism and microgeögraphic criteria. The results revealed that the Forest dormouse possesses well-expressed sexual dimorphism of the cranial characters. A discriminate function, which determines the sex of Forest dormouse individuals, was worked out on the basis of 48 craniometric characters. The Craniometric characters of both male and female Forest dormice are microgeographically determined but maintain high craniometric similarity between populations. Ecological differences appear to be the main reasons for distinct patterns of microgeögraphic variation found in Bulgarian Forest dormice, despite their apparent morphological similarity.

Keywords:

morphometrics, sexual dimorphism, statistical analysis, geographical variation, forest ecology, Bulgaria,

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