Variations in leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) skull morphology and body size: sexual and geographic influences.

ABSTRACT: The leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis (Kerr, 1792), is one of the most widespread Asian cats, occurring in continental eastern and southeastern Asia. Since 1929, several studies have focused on the morphology, ecology, and taxonomy of leopard cats. Nevertheless, hitherto there has been no agreement on basic aspects of leopard cat biology, such as the presence or absence of sexual dimorphism, morphological skull and body differences between the eleven recognized subspecies, and the biogeography of the different morphotypes. Twenty measurements on 25 adult leopard cat skulls from different Asian localities were analyzed through univariate and multivariate statistical approaches. Skull and external body measurements from studies over the last 77 years were assembled and organized in two c

SUBMITTER: Sicuro FL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4614805 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature