用粪便形态特征初步研究新疆塔里木马鹿种群年龄和性别

塔里木马鹿分布在干旱地区,是唯一的适应干旱荒漠环境的特殊马鹿亚种之一.目前,塔里木马鹿种群面临着栖息地退缩和片段化的双重影响,这不仅导致了种群数量的锐减,而且也因物种遗传漂变和近亲繁殖的不断增加,进一步加剧其濒危程度.为了有效地保护该物种,全面了解种群结构是至关重要.对塔里木马鹿粪便的长度、宽度、长度/宽度比例和体积等参数进行了测量,并采用判别分析方法划分种群年龄.结果表明,塔里木马鹿粪便形态在不同性别之间有差异,一般雌性的粪便大于雄性(P<0.05).同时根据粪便形态对种群年龄划分为成年雄性、成年雌性和幼体等3个年龄组.

Using Pellet Morphometry Study Population Age Structure and Sex of the Red Deer( Cervus elaphus Yarkandensis)

The Tarim red deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis),a subspecies of red deer (C.elaphus),is unique among deer in exhibiting specific adjustment to a desert environment.At present the wild population of Tarim red deer has declined urgently because of habitat deterioration and fragmentation.Completely studying this species population dynamics is urgently needed for effectively protecting this species.By examining the mor-phometry of pellets in three different categories (adult males,adult females,and yearlings) red deer,we were able to distinguish via discriminate function and fuzzy clustering analyses the age and sex of these animals.To determine a prioring the identity of the pellet samples and evaluate the accuracy of our methods,samples were obtained from individuals in captivity.The discriminate function allowed us to correctly assign 100% of adult males,89.33% of adult females,and 75% of yearlings to an age class,using previous information.The fuzzy clustering method enabled us to correctly distinguish 100% of adult males,83.3% of adult females,and 75% of yearlings.