Airoldi Hoffmann (1 results)

Paperback. Condition: New. Print on Demand. This book presents a detailed analysis of ontological variation in two species of voles, Microtus californicus and Microtus ochrogaster. The author explores the nature of this variation during the course of postnatal growth in known-age voles of the two species and examines the significance of these variations for systematic studies. Detailed exploration and examination of the age variation in voles is contextualized within prior research on the subject which has primarily relied on morphological features like degree of development of lambdoidal crests or frontal ridges or sutures to assign animals to different age classes. The author argues that this approach can reduce the influence of age variation and introduces a new method of using skull measurements to predict the age of voles. Patterns of size and shape are examined using principal components and canonical correlation analyses and the results are discussed in detail. This book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of mammalogy, evolutionary biology, and ecology. The author's insights on the significance of age variation in voles and the introduction of skull measurements as a new method of predicting age are significant contributions to the study of voles and will be of great value to researchers in the field. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book. print-on-demand item.