中国四种鼯鼠的头骨形态学(英文)

针对长期以来有关鼯鼠分类地位的争议,该研究基于查看、测取60号鼯鼠成体头骨(每号头骨测取26个可量性状)共计1560个数据,运用多变量、单变量分析方法,对鼯鼠属(Petaurista)中的P.yunanensis,P.philippensis,P.hainana以及P.petaurista头骨可测量数据进行了统计学分析,以探讨上述4种鼯鼠的头骨形态差异以及P.yunanensis和P.hainana的分类地位。结果显示:(1)上述可测量头骨性状在该4种鼯鼠中不存在性二型现象;(2)上述4种鼯鼠在所测量的头骨性状上两两间均存在显著差异;(3)P.philippensis与P.hainana之间的头骨形态差异程度远大于P.yunanensis与P.philippensis之间的差异。该结果在宏观统计分析水平上为上述4种鼯鼠的种地位有效性提供了佐证,与前人基于分子水平(mtDNA)的种地位有效性研究结果相似。

Cranial morphometric study of four giant flying squirrels (Petaurista) (Rodentia: Sciuridae) from China

The present study revisited the controversial taxonomic status of Petaurista yunanensis, P. philippensis, P. hainana, and P. petaurista by using a considerably extended set of morphometrical characters (26 cranial variables from 60 adult specimen skulls). The results revealed no sexual dimorphism in any of the four species but confirmed significant craniometric differences among the four species in both the principal components analysis (PCA) and discriminant function analysis (DFA), with the greatest distinction observed between P. petaurista and other Petaurista species. Both univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that the morphological differences between P. yunanensis and P. philippensis were less than that between P. philippensis and P. hainana. The morphometric results were concordant in geographic patterns with mtDNA data from previous studies and indicated that P. petaurista, P. hainana, P. philippensis, and P. yunanensis could be recognized as valid species.