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Craniometric Variability of the Common Shrew (Sorex araneus, Eulipotyphla) in the Northeastern Part of European Russia: Effects of Various Factors

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Abstract

Craniometric variability of the common shrew has been studied on 613 skulls of young (first summer of life) individuals from ten localities in the northeastern part of European Russia, i.e., Komi Republic and Nenets Autonomous Okrug. We have compared 16 skull traits. The impact of various factors on cranial variability of the species is discussed. We found significant interpopulation variability in the skull size. The morphological distances (Mahalanobis distances) between samples within a race were often greater than those between samples of different races. Several skull traits were found specific to some races. Both latitude and elevation were shown to affect the interpopulation variability significantly. A decrease in the size of skulls was revealed towards the north versus an increase with altitude. Estimation of the contribution of a certain factor was complicated by the joint effect of various factors in various combinations.

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Funding

This work was carried out with financial support from Science and Research, project no. 0414-2018-0005, “Distribution, Systematics, and Spatial Organization of the Fauna and Population of Terrestrial and Aquatic Animals in Taiga and Tundra Ecosystems of the European Northeast of Russia” (AAAA-A17-117112850235-2) and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 19-04-00985.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pechoro-Ilych State Nature Reserve, 169436, Yaksha, Russia

    A. V. Bobretsov

  2. Institute of Biology, Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 167982, Syktyvkar, Russia

    A. V. Bobretsov, A. N. Petrov & N. M. Bykhovets

  3. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia

    N. A. Shchipanov

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  1. A. V. Bobretsov
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  2. A. N. Petrov
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  3. N. M. Bykhovets
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  4. N. A. Shchipanov
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Correspondence to A. V. Bobretsov, A. N. Petrov or N. A. Shchipanov.

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Translated by T. Kuznetsova

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Bobretsov, A.V., Petrov, A.N., Bykhovets, N.M. et al. Craniometric Variability of the Common Shrew (Sorex araneus, Eulipotyphla) in the Northeastern Part of European Russia: Effects of Various Factors. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 47, 1201–1213 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359020090046

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