Research Article

Comparative Skull and Mandible Geometric Morphometrics of Two Species of Mice, Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus (Muridae, Rodentia) in Turkey

Volume: 44 Number: 3 September 29, 2023
EN

Comparative Skull and Mandible Geometric Morphometrics of Two Species of Mice, Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus (Muridae, Rodentia) in Turkey

Abstract

Using a geometric morphometrics approach, we examined shape and size variations of skull and mandible bone of two evolutionarily distantly related mice from Turkey: Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus. PCA analyses revealed overlap in dorsal cranium and mandible shapes of both species, consistent with previous traditional morphological methods. The skull of M. macedonicus seems to be larger in size than M. domesticus according to box-plot analyses of centroid size values, however there is no obvious difference for the mandible. No difference was observed between sexes in either of the characters. We suggest that future studies focus on dental characteristics and also consider the variation among local populations and ecological variables.

Keywords

Thanks

We are very grateful to Dr. İ. GÜNDÜZ for providing access to the study material.

References

  1. [1] Berry R.J., Town Mouse, Country Mouse: adaptation and adaptability in Mus domesticus (M. musculus domesticus), Mammal Review, 11 (1981) 91-136.
  2. [2] Wilson D.E., Reeder D.M., Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference (Vol. 1). Johns Hopkins University Press, Bucknell University, Baltimore, Maryland, (2005).
  3. [3] Kryštufek B., Vohralík V., Mammals of Turkey and Cyprus Rodentia II: Cricetinae, Muridae, Spalacidae, Calomyscidae, Capromyidae, Hystricidae, Castoridae. University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre, Koper, Slovenia, (2009) 146-169.
  4. [4] Yavuz G., Examination of some cranial characteristics of Mus domesticus Linnaeus 1758 and Mus macedonicus Petrov & Ruzic 1983 (Mammalia: Rodentia) distributed in Turkey, Kırşehir Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi, 2 (1) (2022) 43-55.
  5. [5] Abi-Said M.R., Karam S.S., Morphological Cranial Study and Habitat Preference of Mus macedonicus (Petrov & Ruzic, 1983) (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Lebanon, Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences (JJBS), 10 (4) (2017) 235-237.
  6. [6] Gözcelioğlu B., Çolak R., Çolak E., Yiğit N., A study on Mus domesticus Rutty, 1772 and Mus macedonicus Petrov and Ruzic, 1983 (Mammalia: Rodentia) Distrubuted along the Line of Ankara, Bolu and Zonguldak, Turkish Journal of Zoology, 29 (2) (2005) 133-140.
  7. [7] Çolak E., Yiğit E., Sözen M., Çolak R., Özkurt Ş., Kankılıç T., Kankılıç T., The morphological analysis of Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey, Turkish Journal of Zoology, 30 (3) (2006) 309-317.
  8. [8] Adams D.C., Rohlf F.J., Slice D.E., Geometric morphometrics: ten years of progress following the ‘revolution’, Italian Journal of Zoology, 71 (2004) 5-16.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Structural Biology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 29, 2023

Submission Date

February 13, 2023

Acceptance Date

July 25, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2023 Volume: 44 Number: 3

APA
Demirtaş, S., Özmen, M., Silsüpür, M., & Kıral, D. (2023). Comparative Skull and Mandible Geometric Morphometrics of Two Species of Mice, Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus (Muridae, Rodentia) in Turkey. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 44(3), 444-449. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1250269

Cited By

As of 2026, Cumhuriyet Science Journal will be published in six issues per year, released in February, April, June, August, October, and December