MORPHOTYPIC, CRANIOMETRIC AND GENOTYPIC DIVERSIFICATION IN APODEMUS-FLAVICOLLIS AND APODEMUS-SYLVATICUS

Some aspects of genetic and morphologic diversification in two Italian rodent species (Apodemus flavicollis and Apodemus sylvaticus) were an alyzed. The individual-centered approach used consists of the analysis of morphotypic, craniometric and genotypic diversity. The results obt ained were: a good agreement between genetic and morphologic clusterin g of studied populations, confirming the usefulness of the morphologic characters in systematic studies (the expected direct correlation bet ween genotypic and morphotypic diversity was, however, quite low, with the exception of the richness component); an inverse correlation betw een genetic distance (that in this case could be considered an estimat or of isolation and small size of the populations) and genotypic or mo rphotypic richness; a greater morphometric diversity in A. flavicollis than A. sylvaticus, probably due to competitive pressure.