Taxonomic Status of Anderson's Red-backed Vole on the Kii Peninsula, Japan, Based on Skull and Dental Characters

概要

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In order to reexamine the taxonomic position of Andersons redbacked vole from the Kii Peninsula, Japan, molars from 20 old specimens were examined to see whether their roots were closed or not. In addition, molar occlusal enamel patterns, and craniometric data, based on 160 specimens ranging in age from birth to day 1,116, were compared with those of Andersons red-backed voles from Mt. Yatsugatake and wild-caught specimens of Clethrionomys rufocanus bedfordiae. All normal specimens from both the Kii Peninsula and Mt. Yatsugatake had molars with open roots, though one aberrant specimen from each population exhibited signs of root-closure. Almost no differences in molar occlusal enamel patterns were noticed between the Kii Peninsula and Mt. Yatsugatake populations. An analysis of the parietal width demonstrated that the Kii Peninsula and Mt. Yatsugatake populations belong to a cline. The cranial growth pattern of the Kii Peninsula population resembled more closely that of Eothenomys smithii (Ando et al. 1989) than that of C. r. bedfordiae. Taking the above facts into consideration, it is concluded that Andersons red-backed voles inhabiting the Kii Peninsula have a close taxonomic relationship with voles from Mt. Yatsugatalte. Furthermore, the author, supporting the opinion of Aimi (1980), considers the voles of both populations to belong to one species, Eothenomys andersoni.
日本哺乳類学会の論文
1995-06-01