Variability of bell morphotypes of the East Siberian moose (Alces americanus pfizenmayeri Zukowski, 1910) in Yakutia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9519-2026-18-3-1007-1018Keywords:
восточносибирский лось, серьга, морфотипы, самцы, самки, обморожениеAbstract
The variability and classification of bell shapes in 134 East Siberian moose individuals from Yakutia were studied. Four main bell morphotypes were identified: "drop", "icicle", "fold", and "transitional", as well as four subtypes of the folded bell shape: "halberd", "saccular", "rounded", and "triangular". The "fold" bell morphotype was recorded in 77.6% of individuals, "icicle"– in 12.6%, "transitional" – in 6.0%, and "drop" – in 3.8% of individuals. Clearly pronounced sex differences are observed in the occurrence of different bell shapes in the Yakut moose. The "fold" bell shape was noted in individuals of both sexes, but was most common in males and less common in females. Other bell morphotypes are more common in females and were quite rare in males. Sexual dimorphism is observed in the occurrence of the "saccular" subtype, which is only observed in males. The initial bell shape in moose is apparently genetically determined, while subsequent changes are influenced by abiotic factors, such as frostbite of the thin distal parts of the bells, which alter their shape. Analysis of bell variability in East Siberian moose revealed significant differences between them and European moose, which, to some extent, may serve as diagnostic features for characterizing the distinctive features of secondary sexual characteristics in the two races of moose – American and European.
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