中缅树鼩(Tupaia belangeri)头骨特征的研究

Skull traits of the tree shrews( Tupaia belangeri)

头骨形态与动物的栖息环境密切相关,生境的变化可引起其头骨形态上的变化,因此动物头骨形态的研究具有十分重要的意义。主要研究了中缅树鼩的头骨特征。结果表明:中缅树鼩头骨特征与其它树鼩显著不同,尤其是中缅树鼩的头骨与马来树鼩存在显著差异,表现在颅全长、基长、颧宽、齿长、吻长、最大颅宽和最大腭宽。结合聚类分析和形态系统树表明头骨形态的差异说明中缅树鼩可能是一个独立的分类单位,而不是马来树鼩的亚种。中缅树鼩头骨特征与其它树鼩的差异可能与其食性、栖息方式、生活环境、所处的海拔和纬度有关。

Skull morphology was closely related to habitat of animals, and the changes of habitat can cause the changes of the skulls of animals, so the research of skull morphology is very important.In the present study, skull traits of Tupaia belangeri were measured. The results showed that there were significant differences between the skull of T.belangeri and other shrews, especially between T.be-langeri and T.glis, in the profile length, condylobasal length, zygomatic width, dental length, snout length, greatest neuroeranium breadth and greatest palatal breadth.Combining with clustering analysis and phylogenetic tree showed that T.belangeri was a unique species unit rather than a sub-species of T.glis.And it showed different morphogenetic adaptation between T.belangeri and other shrews, indicating that these differences were related with their food pattern, habitats, living surroundings, altitude and longitude of the habitats.