Animal disease in relation to animal conservation: Edited by Marcia A. Edwards and Unity McDonnell. (Symposia of the Zoological Society of London, ISSN 0084-5612, Number 50, 1981.) 1982. Academic Press, London. 336 pp. ISBN 0 12 613350 6. Price: £26·40 (UK only); $49·00

Abstract

An analysis of 30 craniological characters of Eurasian badgers (Meles spp.) revealed different levels of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and geographic variation in the three different species. SSD is displayed mostly in the general size of the skull (condylobasal length, zygomatic width, width of rostrum, and cranial height) and mandible (height of the vertical mandibular ramus, total length of the mandible, and length between the angular process and infradentale), and in some dental characters (length of the upper molar M1). The most stable size dimorphism is manifested in the size of the canines, which is pronounced in all studied samples. SSD is not apparent in the length of the auditory bulla, the postorbital width, the minimum palatal width, the length of the lower molar M2, and the talonid length of the lower carnassial tooth M1.In both the European badgers, Meles meles, and the Asian badgers, Meles leucurus, two geographic forms that differ in the degree of SSD have been found. The most pronounced SSD of cranial characters is found in the Transcaucasian form of Meles meles and the Far-Eastern form of Meles leucurus. In the large European form of Meles meles, SSD is less pronounced in both absolute and relative criteria than in the smaller Transcaucasian form. An analogous situation is observed in the larger Siberian and smaller Far-Eastern forms of Meles leucurus. In the Japanese badgers, Meles anakuma, a downsizing of the skull is accompanied by a decrease in SSD (except in canine size) in comparison to the continental species. The significant differences in the manifestation of SSD in the Eurasian badgers support an earlier hypothesis (Abramov, 2001. Proc. Zool. Inst. Russ. Acad. Sci. 288, 221–233; Abramov, 2002. Russ. J. Theriol. 1 (1), 57–60; Abramov, 2003. Small Carnivore Conserv. 29, 5–7) that Meles meles, Meles leucurus, and Meles anakuma are separate species. The differences in the level of SSD among and within these three species of badgers may be attributed not to differences in the diet or social structure, but to the history of speciation events and formation of intraspecific distribution ranges.