Identification of Myotis Blythii and M. Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Eastern Europe Based on the Measurements of Lower Teeth

Abstract

Identification ofMyotis BlythiiandM. Myotis(Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Eastern Europe Based on the Measurements of Lower TeethSince the shape of lower teeth is similar inMyotisspecies, it was the size that was used for differentiation between them. Canonical variates analysis was used to determine the possibility of discrimination betweenM. blythiiTomes, 1857 andM. myotisBorkhausen, 1797 based on lower teeth. The lengths and widths of canines, premolars and molars were measured. More than 89% of the specimens were correctly classified in the models built using measurements of each tooth separately ("one-tooth" models). Better result was obtained for different combinations of the teeth. The largest and the most frequent in the fossils teeth (c inf., p/4, m/1, m/2, and m/3) were chosen for "several-teeth" models. Sets of three teeth maximize the discriminatory power almost to 100%.