Academic Journal

Geographical Variation in the Sand Cat, Felis margarita (Carnivora: Felidae)

التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان: Geographical Variation in the Sand Cat, Felis margarita (Carnivora: Felidae)
المؤلفون: Andrew C. Kitchener, Alexei V. Abramov, Géraldine Veron, Lisa Banfield, Helen Senn, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Andrey Yu. Puzachenko
المصدر: Diversity, Vol 16, Iss 10, p 635 (2024)
بيانات النشر: MDPI AG, 2024.
سنة النشر: 2024
المجموعة: LCC:Biology (General)
مصطلحات موضوعية: biogeography, geographical variation, pelage, sand cat, Felis margarita, skull, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
الوصف: Sand cats, Felis margarita, range from northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia. Their apparently discontinuous distribution is recognized as comprising four subspecies. Recent genetic research found little differentiation between subspecies except for the North African form. In this study, 90 skins and 88 skulls were analyzed from the four subspecies. A discriminant function analysis of the scores, ranging from 1 to 4, of four pelage characteristics revealed differentiation between putative subspecies, except between Turkmenian and Pakistani sand cats. Northern African and Arabian sand cats tend to be spotted and striped, while Turkmenian and Pakistani sand cats are less spotted and have a dorsal crest of fur. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) models generated from 21 skull measurements revealed an overlap in morphospace between all subspecies, except for larger Turkmenian sand cats; northern African sand cats were smallest. Therefore, both pelage characteristics and skull morphometrics support up to three subspecies. However, considering recent genetic research, it is likely that two subspecies should be recognized, F. m. margarita from northern Africa and F. m. thinobia from the Arabian Peninsula, and Southwest and Central Asia. Widening of the dataset and nuclear DNA evidence are required to increase our understanding of geographical variation in this little studied species.
نوع الوثيقة: article
وصف الملف: electronic resource
اللغة: English
تدمد: 1424-2818
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/10/635; https://doaj.org/toc/1424-2818
DOI: 10.3390/d16100635
URL الوصول: https://doaj.org/article/6676ea1890224f9b9907a6e67bffc362
رقم الانضمام: edsdoj.6676ea1890224f9b9907a6e67bffc362
قاعدة البيانات: Directory of Open Access Journals
الوصف
تدمد:14242818
DOI:10.3390/d16100635