DEVELOPMENTAL STABILITY IN THE EURASIAN OTTER (LUTRA-LUTRA) IN DENMARK

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as expressed in metric and meristic skull t raits was analysed in a sample of 172 otters collected in Denmark betw een 1861 and 1994. Tissue levels of organochlorine pesticide residues and PCBs were determined and the correlation between contaminant conce ntration and FA was tested. A significant correlation was found betwee n FA in different traits and the year of collection, but there was no significant correlation between FA and the concentration of contaminan ts. These results suggest that factors other than pesticides have affe cted the developmental stability of skulls in the Danish otter populat ion. Among these, a population bottleneck following habitat fragmentat ion is discussed as a possible cause.