抄録
To demonstrate the patterns of geographic variation in the raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), craniodental analyses are conducted based on 377 skulls from Far East Russia, northeastern China, South Korea, and the Japanese Islands. Its longitudinal distribution in East Asia makes raccoon dogs as an attractive model species to test morphological adaptation by geographic gradients and island isolation. Our ecomorphological results suggest its craniodental measurements indicating body size and food habit showed signi.cant relation with the higher latitude and lower annual and minimum temperatures. Island populations were signi.cantly di.erent from those of the mainland populations, showing smaller mean skull measurements except for the postorbital constriction and postorbital breadth. This relevant difference on the land type may be interpreted as an adaptation response to the island environment after the geographic isolation from the mainland. This study is of considerable value in understanding the morphological evolutionary patterns by geographic adaptation of raccoon dogs.
