FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY AS AN INDICATOR FOR DIFFERENTIATION AMONG ROE DEER CAPREOLUS-CAPREOLUS POPULATIONS

Fluctuating asymmetry in 30 bilateral cranial non-metric traits was in vestigated in three roe deer Capreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758) popu lations living in different habitats in Poland. For each sample, the m ean proportion of asymmetric traits per individual (FA(NM)) was calcul ated and used for comparisons among populations. The highest value of FA(NM) (0.18) was displayed by roe deer belonging to the 'field ecotyp e', a lower one by roe deer belonging to the 'forest ecotype' (0.14), and the lowest (0.12) in a 'transient' population. In contrast to the 'forest' roe deer and the 'transient' population, a gradual and statis tically significant decrease of FA(NM)-values over the last 30 years w as recorded in the 'field ecotype'. There the proportion of asymmetric traits was also significantly higher in juveniles than in other age c lasses. Fluctuating asymmetry in roe deer is discussed with regard to the environmental stress hypothesis and the gradual development of a c oadapted gene pool in the 'field ecotype'.