ABSTRACT
Interrelations between some forms of group variation (FGVs) (age, sex, geographic, inter-species, differences among breeds) of 12 to 15 measurable skull traits are studied in 6 mammal species (pine marten, polar fox, Przewalskii horse, and 3 jird species) by means of dispersion analysis (model III, MANOVA). The above FGVs are considered as factors in the MANOVA, and skull traits are considered as dependent variables. To obtaine commeasurables estimates for the FGVs, each of them is assessed numerically as a portion of its dispersion in the entire morphological disparity defined for each character (or a set of characters) by MANOVA. The data obtained indicate a wide diversity of interrelations between FGVs. It is shown that statistical analysis of significance of joint effects of FGVs does not substitute the analysis of numerical interrelations of their dispersion portions. It is concluded that it is unproductive to study such interrelations as simple "statistical regularities" like the Kluge-Kerfoot phenomenon, so the character sets are not to be considered as statistical ensembles. A kind of content-wise null-model for FGVs of measurable traits is formulated according to which there is a "background" age variation while other FGVs are its derivatives. Respectively, other factors structuring the morphological disparity under investigation being absent, a positive correlation between FGVs is to be anticipated (strong succession). With the significant deviations of the postulated correlation being observed, other factors regulating respective FGVs that cannot be reduced to the age variation are to be supposed (weak succession). Possible interpretations of interrelations between age variation and some other FGVs in carnivores are considered. Craniological variation in the Przewalskii horse is just slightly effected by maintenance conditions under its domestication, a significant influence of other factors is to be supposed. Negative correlation between geographic and inter-species differences in the jirds (genus Meriones) could be interpreted as an evidence for the speciation described by the punctuated equilibrium model.
