Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The application of factor analysis to the study of variation in the long-tailed field-mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus (L.)) in north-west Scotland

1965; Oxford University Press; Volume: 176; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1095-8312.1965.tb00939.x

1747-2741

M. J. Delany,

Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Variation has been studied on collections of the long-tailed field-mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus (L.)) obtained from two mainland localities and eight islands in north-west Scotland. The following measurements were made on each animal: occipito-nasal length, weight, tail length, hind foot length, pectoral stripe length, tooth row length, value, chroma, incisor width and tooth wear. Factor analysis using an R-type matrix (attribute × attribute) was employed in the statistical treatment of the data. The purpose of the paper is to compare the results obtained from this type of multivariate analysis with those obtained from the same data, and published elsewhere, using discriminant function analysis. The first factor analysis utilized a total of 156 animals of all ages from the ten localities whilst the second attempted to obtain uniform age composition in the samples by using only the two largest males from each locality. The analyses suggest that life history and genetical size account for much of the variation. There are also indications, particularly from the second analysis, that animals from certain groups of localities are similar. Apparently mice from Applecross, Laga (both on the mainland) and the islands of Lewis, Raasay and Mull can be placed in one group; those from the islands of North Uist, South Uist and Barra in a second group whilst those from Rhum and Colonsay are fairly distinct from each other and the remainder. These findings broadly agree with those from the discriminant function analysis. From the first factor analysis some island populations appear distinct from others although there is generally more overlap.