Biometric variation in Martes foina from mainland Greece and the Aegean Islands

The geographical morphometric variations in the stone marten ( Martes foina ) from mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands,and Crete were analyzed. Samples taken from the three areas were compared regarding 18 craniometrical and 5 body size variables.According to univariate statistics, 13 skull measurements from males and 15 from females (72% and 83% of total skull variables formales and females, respectively) did not differ significantly among mainland Greece, the Aegean Islands, and Crete. The morphologicaldifferences among mainland and insular populations showed a tendency for separation (63% overall correct classification from skullmeasurements of males, 72.5% and 73.6% for body measurements of males and females, respectively). The resulting weak morphologicalvariation in the stone marten does not favor the presence of a subspecies in Greece and suggests that insular populations are not endemicand belong to the same population from the mainland. Genetic analysis is needed for the revision of the taxonomy of the species in theMediterranean area.

PDF

___

Abramov AV, Kranz A, Herrero J, Choudhury A, Maran T (2016). Martes foina . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T29672A45202514. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN. UK.2016-1.RLTS.T29672A45202514.en.
Albayrak I, Özen A, Kitchener A (2008). A contribution to the age-class determination of Martes foina Erxleben, 1777 from Turkey (Mammalia: Carnivora). Turk J Zool 32: 147-153.
Anderson E (1970). Quaternary evolution of the genus Martes (Carnivora, Mustelidae). Acta Zool Fenn 130: 1-133.
Ashton KG, Tracy M, de Queiroz A (2000). Is Bergmanns rule valid for mammals? Am Nat 156: 390-415.
Atallah S (1978). Mammals of the Eastern Mediterranean region: their ecology, systematics and zoogeographical relationships. Saugterierk Mitt 26: 1-50.
Aung S, Ngim R, Lee S (1995). Evaluation of the laser scanner as a surface measuring tool and its accuracy compared with direct facial anthropometric measurements. Bri J Plast Surg 48: 551- 558.
Baker A, Adam N, Smith H, Pichler F (2002). Geographical variation in Hectors dolphin: recognition of new subspecies of Cephalorhynchus hectori . J R Soc N Z 32: 713-727.
Bate DMA (1905). On the mammals of Crete. Proc Zool Soc London 2: 315-323.
Delibes M, Amores F (1986). The stone marten Martes foina from Ibiza (Pitiusic, Balearic islands). Misc Zool 10: 335-345.
de Marinis A, Pandolfi M (1995). Morphometric variation in stone marten Martes foina in Western Alps in relation to climate. Hystrix 7: 119-125.
Douma-Petridou E (1984). Contribution to the knowledge of Martes foina Erxl. (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Achaia, northern Peloponnesus Greece and rest southern Balkan Peninsula. Mammalia 48: 565-572.
Ellison G, Taylor P, Nix H, Bronner G, Mcmahon J (1993). Climatic adaptation of body size among pouched mice ( Saccostomus campestris , Cricetidae) in the southern African subregion. Glob Ecol Biogeogr Lett 3: 41-47.
Englund J (2006). Cranial and skeleton size in red foxes, Vu lp es vulpes in areas with large variation in food abundance. Russ J Theriol 5: 25-34.
Festa E (1914). Escursioni Zoologiche del Dr. Enrico Festa nell isola di Rodi. Mammiferi Boll Mus Zool Anat Comp Univ Torino 29: 1-29.
Foster JB (1964). Evolution of mammals on islands. Nature 202: 234- 235.
Fuentes ER, Jaksic FM (1979). Latitudinal size variation of Chilean foxes: tests of alternative hypotheses. Ecology 60: 43-47.
Genovesi P, Secchi M, Boitani L (1996). Diet of stone martens: an example of ecological flexibility. J Zool 238: 545-555.
Gortázar C, Travaini A, Delibes M (2000). Habitat-related microgeographic body size variation in two Mediterranean populations of red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ). J Zool 250: 335-338.
Grundbacher B (1992). Nachweis des Baummarders, Martes martes in der neolitischen Ufresiedlung von Twann sowie Ammerkungen zur osteometroschen Unterschiedung von Martes martes und M. foina . Z. Saugetierkunde 57: 201-210.
Halstead P, Jones G (1987). Bioarchaeological remains from Kalythies cave, Rhodes. In: Sampson A, editor. The Neolithic Period in the Dodecanese. Athens, Greece: British School at Athens. pp. 135-152.
Holmes T, Powell R (1994). Morphology, ecology and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in North American Martes. In: Buskirk S, Harestad A, Raphael M, Powell R, editors. Martens, Sables and Fishers: Biology and Conservation. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell University Press, pp. 72-84.
Jones M (1997). Character displacement in Australian dasyurid carnivores: size relationships and prey size patterns. Ecology 78: 2569-2587.
King CM (1991). Body size-prey size relationships in European stoats Mustela erminea : a test case. Holarct Ecol 14: 173-185.
Kryśtufek B (2004a). The Cretan stone marten Martes foina bunites . Small Carniv Conserv 30: 2-4. Kryśtufek B (2004b). The stone marten Martes foina milleri on the island of Rhodes. Small Carniv Conserv 31: 6-8.
Kurten B (1968). Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. London, UK: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Lynch J, Conroy A, Kitchener D, Jefferies D, Hayden T (1996). Variation in cranial form and sexual dimorphism among five European populations of the otter ( Lutra lutra ). J Zool 238: 81-96.
Malatesta A (1980). Dwarf deer and other late Pleistocene fauna of the Simonelli Cave in Crete. Accad Naz Lincei Quad 249: 1-97.
Masseti M (1995a). Quaternary biogeography of the Mustelidae family on the Mediterranean islands. Hystrix 7: 17-34.
Masseti M (1995b). Presence and distribution of the Stone marten, Martes foina Erxleben, 1777, on the island of Crete (Greece). Hystrix 7: 73-78.
Mazák JH, Groves CP (2006). A taxonomic revision of the tigers ( Panthera tigris ) of Southeast Asia. Mamm Boil 71: 268-287.
McDonald R, King C (2000). Biology of mustelids: reviews and future directions. Mammal Rev 30: 145-146.
Meiri S, Yom-Tov Y, Geffen E (2007). What determines conformity to Bergmanns rule? Global Ecol Biogeogr 16: 788-794.
Nagorsen D (1994). Body weight variation among insular and mainland American martens. In: Buskirk S, Harestad A, Raphael M, Powell R, editors. Martens, Sables and Fishers: Biology and Conservation. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell University Press, pp. 72-84.
Oishi T, Uraguchi K, Abramov A, Masuda R (2010) Geographical variations of the skull in the red fox Vu lp es Vu lp es on the Japanese islands: an exception to Bergmanns rule. Zool Sc 27: 939-945.
Papakosta M, Andreadou M, Tsoupas A, Karaiskou N, Bakaloudis D, Chatzinikos E, Sakoulis A, Triadafyllidis A, Vlachos C (2012). Genetic analysis of stone marten ( Martes foina ) Greek populations. In: Legakis A, Georgiadis C, Pafilis P, editors. Abstracts of the International Congress on the Zoogeography, Ecology and Evolution of Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean; 1822 June 2012; Athens, Greece: Hellenic Zoological Society, p. 230.
Papakosta M, Kitikidou K, Bakaloudis D, Vlachos C (2014). Dietary variation of the stone marten ( Martes foina ): a meta-analysis approach. Wildl Biol Pract 10: 85-101.
Quin D, Smith A, Norton T (1996). Ecogeographic variation in size and sexual dimorphism in sugar gliders and squirrel gliders (Marsupialia: Petauridae). Austr J Zool 44: 19-45.
Ragni B, Masseti M, Roussos T, Belardinelli A, Cicconi P (1999). The carnivores of the island of Crete, Greece. Contributions to the Zoogeography and Ecology of the Eastern Mediterranean Region 1: 117-123.
Ralls K, Harvey P (1985). Geographic variation in size and sexual dimorphism of North American weasels. Biol J Linn Soc 25: 119-167.
Rausch RL (1963). Geographic variation in size in North American brown bears, Ursus arctos , as indicated by condylobasal length. Can J Zool 41: 33-45.
Reig S (1992). Geographic variation in pine marten ( Martes martes ) and beech marten ( Martes foina ) in Europe. J Mammal 73: 744- 769.
Rice WR (1989). Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43: 223-225.
Rosatte RC, Power MJ, MacInnes CD (1991). Ecology of urban skunks, raccoons, and foxes in metropolitan Toronto. In: Adams LW, Leedy DL, editors. Wildlife Conservation in Metropolitan Environments. Columbia, MD, USA: National Institute for Urban Wildlife, pp. 31-38.
Sala B (1992). I mammiferi del Quaternario italiano. In: I segnidel tempo. Memoria delle origini ed icone del primordial. Liceo Ginnasio G. Prati, Trento, pp. 209-227.
Serafini P, Lovari S (1993). Food habits and trophic niche overlap of the red fox and the stone marten in a Mediterranean rural area. Acta Theriol 38: 233-244.
Sholts SB, Flores L, Walker P, Warmlander SK (2011). Comparison of coordinate measurement precision of different landmark types on human crania using a 3D laser scanner and a 3D digitiser: Implications for applications of digital morphometrics. Intern J Osteoarchaeol 21: 535-543.
Tsoukala E (1999). Quaternary large mammals from the Apidima Caves (Lakonia, S Peloponnese, Greece). Beitr Palaont 24: 207- 229.
Yiğit N, Colak E, Sozen M (1998). Contribution to the taxonomy, distribution and karyology of Martes foina (Erxleben, 1777) (Mammalia: Carnivora) in Turkey. Turk J Zool 22: 297-301.
Zar JH (1996). Biostatistical Analysis. 3rd ed. London, UK: Prentice Hall.