Bill Variation of Captive and Wild Chukar Partridge Populations: Shape or Size

Traditionally, morphological characters are widely used to distinguish between interspecies and intraspecies. In addition to the size of morphological characters, shape has also been used as an indicator in the last decades. We evaluated the geometric morphometry and morphometric of the bill of Chukar Partridge, Alectoris chukar from captive and wild populations to determine the bill variation and population relationships. Although there was a size difference between the sexes, no shape difference was found. However, captive populations differed from wild populations in both size and shape. Although there was no difference in shape among wild populations, some differences were found in size. Moreover, bill sizes of captive populations were statistically longer than western, centre, and eastern wild populations. It was also shown that the western populations had the most significant variation among the wild populations. The results revealed that using the size and shape together was more effective in comparing populations.

Morphological Adaptation of Cave-Dwelling Ground Beetles in China Revealed by Geometric Morphometry (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechini)

Cave-dwelling ground beetles in China represent the most impressive specific diversity and morphological adaptations of the cavernicolous ground beetles in the world, but they have not been systematically examined in quantitative terms. The present study focuses on the application of geometric morphological methods to address the morphological adaptations of the tribe Trechini, the most representative group in China. We have employed a geometric morphometry analysis of the head, pronotum, and elytra of 53 genera of Trechini, including 132 hypogean and 8 epigean species. Our results showed that the overall morphological variation of cave carabids has gradually specialized from an anophthalmic to semi-aphaenopsian to aphaenopsian type. There were extremely significant differences (p < 0.01) among four different adaptive types including aphaenopsian, semi-aphaenopsian, anophthalmic, and surface-dwelling Trechini when their adaptability to a cave environment was used as the basis for grouping. Furthermore, there were differences in the phenotypic tree of the head, pronotum, and elytra, and an integrated morphology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the analysis of the head, pronotum, and elytra of four different adaptive types of ground beetles in order to clarify the morphological adaptations of cavernicolous carabids to the cave environment.

Shape Analysis as an Additional Tool in Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) Management: A New Approach Based on the Relationship between Mandible Shape and Trophic Resources

The analysis of body shape variability has always been a central element in biology. More recently, geometric morphometry has developed as a new field in shape analysis, with the aim to study body morphological variations and the identification of their causes. In wildlife management, geometric morphometry could be a useful tool to compare the anatomical structures of an organism and quantify its geometric information in order to relate them to environmental factors, thus identifying the causes and effects of the variation and acting management and/or conservation plans. The aim of our study is to evaluate the relationship between roe deer mandible shape and trophic resources available during autumn and winter. We applied a geometric morphometry approach consisting of a Relative Warp analysis of landmark data in 26 roe deer fawn mandibles. Each sample was assigned to an age category and to an environmental category based on the territory carrying capacity. The mandible shape of samples under 8 months of age is likely influenced by the availability of trophic resources. Our findings suggest that the mandible shape is a reliable instrument to assess resource availability. Geometric morphometry could thus represent an additional tool for roe deer management.

Contributions to the Knowledge of Sexual Dimorphism in Liolaemus darwinii (Squamata, Liolaemi-dae) in the Monte Desert of Argentina

The lizard Liolaemus darwinii (Liolaemidae) is a typical species with wide distribution in Monte environments of Argentina. The objective of this study is contribute to knowledge of sexual dimorphism in a population of L. darwinii (Bell, 1843). We evaluated sexual shape variation of the cephalic region through procustes analyses with geometric morphometry. We predict that the heads in males will have differences in shape with respect to females. The results showed significant sexual differences in shape, mainly in the region around the eyes. There were no significant differences in sizes. Geometric morphometry analyses are a useful tool for addressing sexual differences in Monte lizards. This constitutes the first study for the center-west of Argentina in San Juan province that implements these geometric morphometry analyses.

Phylogeny of the Neotropical Pacman catfish genus Lophiosilurus (Siluriformes: Pseudopimelodidae)

Lophiosilurus is a monotypic genus represented by L. alexandri, a species endemic to the São Francisco river basin, Brazil. In previous phylogenetic analyses, the genus has been recovered as the sister group of Cephalosilurus. However, few species of Cephalosilurus or few characters were included in those studies. Thus, the current study aims to test the monophyletic hypothesis of the genera Lophiosilurus and Cephalosilurus with a more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis, including all Cephalosilurus species and a representative number of characters. Phylogenetic analyses of 18 terminal taxa (15 ingroups and three outgroups) were conducted based on a combined 75 character matrix, including 70 discrete morphological characters concerning osteology and neuroanatomy, four continuous characters, and the geometric morphometry of the head. The monophyly of the family Pseudopimelodidae was highly supported, and Cephalosilurus is synonymized with Lophiosilurus. The recovered phylogeny of the genus was (L. albomarginatus (L. nigricaudus (L. apurensis (L. fowleri, L. alexandri)))).

Experience of Studying Vessel Forms of the Nikolayevskiy Burial Ground of the Bronze Age Using the ‘Envelope’ and Geometric Morphometry Methods

The article considers the possibilities of the ‘envelope’ and geometric morphometry methods exemplified by the analysis of 47 whole forms of vessels from the Nikolayevskiy burial ground of Srubnaya culture from Bashkir Fore-Urals. Purpose. The purpose of this work is to reveal the morphological characteristics of the ceramic complex of the necropolis with the isolation of the reference forms of vessels using the ‘envelope’ method and methods of geometric morphometry. Consideration of their possibilities will allow for the further construction of a general typology of the vessels of Srubnaya culture of the Urals. The authors are convinced that only the publication of the results of the study of the morphology of the vessels of individual complexes, processed according to a unified technique, will make it possible to proceed with the study of ceramics of the Late Bronze Age cultures of the entire Southern Urals. The use of the ‘envelope’ method proposed by Clive Orton made it possible to highlight the leading forms of the considered collection. The obtained classification scheme includes six groups of pot-shaped vessels and four groups of jar-shaped vessels. Results. The results of the principal component analysis allow for the conclusion that the majority of the sample vessels are similar to each other in general proportions. A small group of vessels of Srubnaya culture low in heigh and a number of vessels with a foreign cultural component, in particular those with features characteristic of Alakul culture, stand out from the rest. There is no clear connection between the distribution of pottery groups among burials and mounds. Only two points stand out. The finds of vessels of the first group of pots prevail in the embankment of mound 1, while pots of the second group appear only in burials of mounds 3 and 5. In mound 3, the finds of these vessels are concentrated in the burials of the northwestern sector, which probably reflects a certain stage in the functioning of the burial ground. Conclusion. The studied variations of pot forms in the analyzed collection, the presence of vessels with the so-called early-Srubnaya signs, and their mutual occurrence with the vessels of the Srubno-Alakul appearance, reflect the processes of the influence of the Alakul pottery stereotypes on the dominant Srubnaya component of the Urals.