Inheritance of skeletal polymorphism in microtus californicus

Abstract

Three non-continuous skeletal variants were studied in skulls from a captive colony of the California vole. Such variation is heritable in at least one of these traits and may be in the others. Skeletal variants can therefore be used as a measure ofgenetical differences between local populations. This conclusion supports previous work on inbred lines of house mice which has demonstrated that both developmental and genetic factors affect skeletal variation. © 1974 The Genetical Society of Great Britain.