A contribution to the problem of relative size in vertebrate morphology

Abstract

The problems connected with the concept of the relative size which represents an important standard to the studies bearing upon the vertebrate morphology are discussed in the present contribution. The main attention is paid to the question to what extent, or if any, it is possible to replace the values which can represent the general size of animal (size of the skeleton, body weight) by the values that could be used as the substitutives (several skull measurements). The attention is also paid to the interrelations of some skull measurements. The contribution results from the examination of the skulls and skeletons of 27 species of Mustelidae.