Morphometry and morphology of <em>Crocidura</em> Wagler 1832 (Mammalia, Soricidae) in Italy, Sardinia and Sicily, with Fourier descriptors approach: first results / Morfometria e morfologia di <em>Crocidura</em> Wagler 1832 (Mammalia, Soricidae) in Italia, Sardegna e Sicilia, con il metodo dei descrittori di Fourier: primi dati
<strong>Abstract</strong> A shape analysis through Fourier descriptors was performed on left mandibles of <em>Crocidura</em> obtained by Barn Owl pellets from peninsular Italy (Emilia and Liguria districts), Sardinia and Sicily. Thanks to some...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associazione Teriologica Italiana
1989-07-01
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| Series: | Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/article/view/3892 |
| Summary: | <strong>Abstract</strong> A shape analysis through Fourier descriptors was performed on left mandibles of <em>Crocidura</em> obtained by Barn Owl pellets from peninsular Italy (Emilia and Liguria districts), Sardinia and Sicily. Thanks to some classical analysis (morphometrical mono- and bidimensional diagrams, morphological analysis) and to biogeographical and genetical evidences, the samples of Sardinia, the smaller specimens of Liguria and Emilia and the bigger ones of Emilia were respectively classified, as a working hypothesis, as <em>C. russula</em>, <em>C. suaveolens</em> and <em>C. leucodon</em>. The "misclassification rate" essay was very low, confirming the reliability of the discrimination rule employed. The sicilian samples, showing an unimodal pattern with respect to all the classical morphometrical characters examined, were then tested against the descriptors of <em>C. russula</em>, <em>C. suaveolens</em> and <em>C. leucodon</em>. The specimens were assigned to all the above species, with a quite even distribution. On the other hand, the hypothesis of equality of two mean vectors for sicilian samples with <em>C. russula</em> or <em>C. suaveolens</em> or <em>C. leucodon</em>, tested by Hotelling's T&#178; test, was rejected at 1% significance level. Owing to the fact that the above results seemed quite unexpected in the light of overall bio- geographical knowledges on <em>Crocidura</em>, the "shape analysis" procedure was repeated, by adding a new "species" for the sicilian samples. The "misclassification rate" essay was very encouraging in the sense of the presence, in Sicily, of a morphological "species", differing from <em>C. russula</em>, <em>C. suaveolens</em> and <em>C. leucodon</em>, possibly to be referred to <em>C. sicula</em> Miller 1901. The euristic value of such up to now first results is discussed. <strong>Riassunto</strong> L'analisi della forma e l'analisi morfometrica di esemplari di <em>Crocidura</em> sp. pl. conducono a considerare probabile la presenza, in Sicilia, di una forma differente da <em>C. russula</em>, <em>C. suaveolens</em>, <em>C. leucodon</em>, la cui possibile coincidenza con <em>C. sicula</em> Miller 1901, è comunque ancora da discutere. Circa la Liguria occidentale è stata confermata la presenza di <em>C. suaveolens</em>. In Sardegna, si conferma la presenza di una specie, da riferire a <em>C. russula</em>. In Emilia, viene avallata l'ipotesi della presenza di due specie: <em>C. leucodon</em> e <em>C. suaveolens</em>. |
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| ISSN: | 0394-1914 1825-5272 |