GEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF MORPHOMETRIC VARIATION IN THE HOTTENTOT GOLDENMOLE, AMBLYSOMUS-HOTTENTOTUS (INSECTIVORA, CHRYSOCHLORIDAE) - A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

Patterns of morphometric variation among 23 population samples of A. h ottentotus from South Africa were studied. Cranial variation is domina ted by differences in overall size, which is markedly larger in the in land Southern Savanna Grassland biotic zone. Such variation is of litt le systematic importance, however, since size in this region appears t o vary clinally in relation to altitude, indicating that it has a stro ng environmental component. Cranial shape differences, although subtle , distinguish nine geographic groups worthy of taxonomic recognition. Two of these correspond with unique cytotypes (2n = 34 and 2n = 36), i ndicating that they represent distinct species. The 2n = 34 population s are assigned to A. septentrionalis Roberts, 1913, but no valid name for the 2n = 36 taxon exists. Populations representing A. h. marleyi a re markedly smaller, and differ from other 2n = 30 demes also in crani al shape; this taxon is thus elevated to specific rank. The other 2n = 30 populations are allocated to five subspecies owing to subtle diffe rences in the configuration of the orofacial and neurocranial subunits . I present evidence to show that A. i. iris represents only a subspec ies of A. hottentotus, and that A. i. corriae is a distinct species wh ich includes A. h. devilliersi. Specimens from the northern extreme of the species range are referred to a new subspecies, for which no vali d name is yet available.