Sexual dimorphism of craniological characters in the European badger, Meles meles, (Carnivora, Mustelidae) from the Western Carpathians

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F18%3A43898188" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/18:43898188 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.25552/fozo.v67.i3-4.a11.2018" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.25552/fozo.v67.i3-4.a11.2018</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.25552/fozo.v67.i3-4.a11.2018" target="_blank" >10.25552/fozo.v67.i3-4.a11.2018</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Sexual dimorphism of craniological characters in the European badger, Meles meles, (Carnivora, Mustelidae) from the Western Carpathians

Original language description

In the Carpathian population of the European badger, existing studies show a considerable discrepancy in the level of sexual dimorphism. The main goal of the study was to ass.eq.s the sexual size dimorphism of the Carpathian Meles meles population in the light of the main hypotheses explaining this phenomenon. We measured 22 craniometric characteristics on sexed skulls of adult specimens from the Western Carpathians and assessed the morphological differences between males and females. A multi-model approach combined with predictive modelling was used to identify craniological parameters that discriminate badger sexes. The sexual size dimorphism was manifested mainly in differences of the feeding apparatus. The inner (IMW ) and outer width of mandible (OMW) showed the highest power to discriminate between males and females (classification accuracy &gt; 80 %). The IMW and OMW of 30 and 69 mm, respectively, may be used as rough threshold values for determination of the badger sex in the Western Carpathians. Our results seem to be in accordance with the hypothesis of sexual selection. We suppose that more even distribution of small families or individuals in the mainland Europe implicates higher level of mating competition which leads to favouring bigger and stronger males. We suppose also some role of a predatory selection by large carnivores and competition with other burrowing species leading to a potentially higher survival chance of bigger individuals in the Carpathians.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/EF15_003%2F0000441" target="_blank" >EF15_003/0000441: Mechanisms and dynamics of macromolecular complexes</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Folia Zoologica

ISSN

0139-7893

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

67

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3-4

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

11

Pages from-to

220-230

UT code for WoS article

000456077400011

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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