MANDIBLE SHAPE AND SIZE IN 3 SPECIES OF SMALL MUSK SHREWS (CROCIDURA WAGLER, 1832) FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA

Mandible shape and size was investigated in three species of small mus k shrews from southern Africa, Crocidura cyanea, C. maquassiensis and C. silacea, in order to search for diagnostic criteria between these m orphologically similar shrews, and to compare the magnitude of shape v ersus size differences between species. The geometric morphometric tec hniques of generalised least squares fitting (GLS) and least squares f itting (LS) were used to compare configurations of 24 mandibular landm arks between and within species. Interspecific differences (sum of squ ared deviations: Sigma d(2)) in mandible shape were five to ten times lower than intraspecific differences between individuals, indicating r emarkable conservatism in overall mandible shape between the three spe cies. However, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) of all landmark co ordinates revealed significant (P < 0.05) species differences at 11 la ndmarks. Mandible centroid size varied significantly (P < 0.001) betwe en all three species, confirming the results of a previous multivariat e study demonstrating minimal overlap between the three species in dis tance-based cranial measurements.