Abstract

The purpose of this project was to investigate the taxonomic relationship and the biology of Peromyscus eremicus, and the Peromyscus guardia group of mice from islands in the Gulf of California.

Hybridization experiments were conducted between P. eremicus and P. interparietalis ryckmani. They were interfertile and produced fertile hybrids. Peromyscus guardia did not breed in the laboratory.

Body and skull measurements for P. eremicus, P. interparietalis ryckmani, and their F1 hybrids were analyzed by computing the discriminant functions and plotting a canonical scattergram. Peromyscus interparietalis ryckmani is quite distinct from P. eremicus. The hybrids were larger than either parent and resembled their maternal progenitor more than their paternal progenitor.

Blood proteins of P. eremicus, P. interparietalis, and P. guardia were compared by serum electrophoresis, and from the protein patterns the discriminant functions were computed and a canonical scattergram plotted. Peromyscus interparietalis is similar to P. eremicus, and P. guardia is quite different from both of them. Within a species, the subspecies showed similar patterns. Serum proteins appear to be a useful taxonomic character.

The pattern of growth and development is similar in P. eremicus and P. interparietalis with a few consistent differences.

LLU Discipline

Biology

Department

Biology

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Raymond E. Ryckman

Second Advisor

Earl W. Lathrop

Third Advisor

Gayle H. Nelson

Fourth Advisor

Ian M. Fraser

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Level

M.A.

Year Degree Awarded

1966

Date (Title Page)

6-1966

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Mice -- Mexico, Gulf of -- Research; Mice -- Classification

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vii: 56

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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