Morphological identification in skull between spotted seal and harbor seal using geometric morphometrics.

ABSTRACT: The morphology of the skull contains considerable ecological information about a species, because the skull contains sensory organs that are used to look for food, compete for mates, or to migrate. Spotted seals (Phoca largha) and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are similar in body size and pelage color but differ in habitat use and reproductive biology. The current study aims to clarify differences in the shapes of skulls in the spotted and harbor seals using geometric morphometrics and to discuss whether ecological differences can explain morphological differences in skulls. First, we discovered that the age at which the shape of skulls stopped changing was 7 years in both species, using the linear-threshold model. Using a total of 75 landmarks, 54 individuals (25 spotted seals, 29 harbor

SUBMITTER: Arai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9290137 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature