Statistical and procedural issues in the use of heated taxidermic mounts

Studies using mounts have an inherently nested error structure; calibration and standardization should use the appropriate procedures and statistics. One example is that individual mount differences are nested within morpholo gical factors related to species, age, or gender; without replication, moun t differences may be confused with differences due to morphology. Also, the sensitivity of mounts to orientation to wind or sun is nested within mount ; without replication, inadvertent variation in mount positioning may be co nfused with differences among mounts. Data on heat loss from a of 1-day-old mallard duckling mount are used to illustrate orientation sensitivity. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.