Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Brown, W. S. (1971). Morphometrics of terrapene coahuila (chelonia: emydidae), with comments on its evolutionary status. Southwestern Naturalist, 16, 171–184.
Added by: Admin (25 Aug 2008 20:36:47 UTC) Last edited by: Beate Pfau (07 Feb 2009 09:43:31 UTC) |
| Resource type: Journal Article BibTeX citation key: Brown1971b View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Emydidae, Morphologie = morphology, Schildkröten = turtles + tortoises, Systematik = taxonomy, Terrapene, Terrapene coahuila Creators: Brown Collection: Southwestern Naturalist |
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| Abstract |
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A sample of 164 Terrapene coahuila from marshes in the Cuatro Ciénegas basin, Coahuila, México, was analyzed for size and sexual dimorphism. Bivariate relations between seven carapace and plastron measures indicated strongest sexual dimorphism in the carapce height/length relationship (males 43%, females 46% in relative height). Males averaged 108.9 mm and females 100.9 mm in carapace length. Marsh-inhabiting T. coahuila are smaller than those from river or pool habitats. Dietary differences and/or greater competition in the more densely populated marshes may explain the inter-population differences in size. About 70% of adult turtles possess a vermiculated pattern of small, yellow markings on the carapace. Eleven (5%) of 218 T. coahuila had extra epidermal scutes or had less than the normal number. The hypothesis that T. coahuila evolved as a Pleistocene relict produced by environmental isolation (championed by Milstead) is examined in the light of recent ecological observations coupled with a model of rapid evolutionary change proposed originally by Mosimann. These interpretations do not support the view that T. coahuila is a surviving remnant of an ancestral population of Terrapene but do support the idea of a relatively recent (mid-Pleistocene?) derivation for the species.
Added by: Admin Last edited by: Beate Pfau |