Gn. Bronner, NON-GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN MORPHOLOGICAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOTTENTOT GOLDEN MOLE, AMBLYSOMUS-HOTTENTOTUS (INSECTIVORA, CHRYSOCHLORIDAE), Mammalia, 60(4), 1996, pp. 707-727
Intra-demic variation in dental characteristics, claw width, external
measurements and cranial morphology within populations of A. hottentot
us representing two subspecies (A. h. hottentotus and A. h. pondoliae)
widespread in South Africa was analysed. Sex ratios did not deviate s
ignificantly from parity. Variability in dental traits was marked in A
. h. pondoliae, but negligible in a population from King Williams Town
. The basis of dental variability appears to be the unusual sequence o
f tooth replacement in chrysochlorids, so that deciduous and permanent
teeth with differing morphologies may occur in the same toothrow. Sex
ual size dimorphism is marked, males being significantly larger than f
emales, but cranial shape divergence between the sexes is subtle, and
involves only slight divergence in the configuration of the facial and
mandibular regions. Age-related variation amongst adult cohorts is ne
gligible, and involves only a slight increase in bullar size, maxillar
y toothrow length and rostrum width. This pattern of intra-populationa
l variation is similar to that of other African Insectivora.