MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION AMONG POPULATIONS OF THE MOUNTAIN BRUSHTAIL POSSUM, TRICHOSURUS-CANINUS OGILBY (PHALANGERIDAE, MARSUPIALIA)

The results are described of a study of morphometric variation among p opulations of the mountain brushtail possum, Trichosurus caninus Ogilb y. Trapping surveys were completed at seven sites from southern Victor ia to central Queensland. The variables measured from each of the 102 animals captured included head length, skull width, total body length, tail length, pes length, length of the ear conch, body girth, belly g irth and the pelage colour. Canonical variate analysis highlighted the existence of a marked separation between populations in Victoria and those in New South Wales and Queensland. The first canonical variate a ccounted for 89% of the variation between the populations and was domi nated by the length of the ear conch, tail length and pes length. Ther e also were differences between the populations for several other morp hometric measures including the head and body length. We recorded cons iderable variation in the fur colour of T. caninus both within and bet ween the populations surveyed. However, no consistent pattern in the g eographic variation of fur coloration was evident. We do not know the ecological or evolutionary causes underlying the observed differences in morphological characteristics amongst the populations of T. caninus . Further work is planned to examine the genetic variability of the po pulations and to assess the taxonomic significance of our findings.