VARIATION OF SKULL MORPHOMETRY OF EURASIAN OTTERS (LUTRA-LUTRA) IN DENMARK AND GERMANY

The distance between opistokranion and zygomatic process of frontal bo ne (A), the condylobasal length (X), and the total length of the mandi ble (M) were measured in skulls of the Eurasian otter collected in Den mark and in the east of Germany (Lausitz). The Danish population showe d a strong reduction in size of the traits in males, and an increase w ith time in the variances of the traits in females, whereas in the Lau sitzian population, no significant changes in the same traits over the same time period were observed. The skulls were also investigated for fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and a negative correlation was found betwe en the size of a skull and FA in the males from both populations, wher eas no correlations were found in the females.