Geographic and sexual variation in the skull of Pacific coast marten (Martes americana)

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Abstract
From multivariate analyses of 25 cranial measurements, we assessed geographic and sexual variation in three island and two mainland samples of Pacific coast marten (Marten americana) from the caurina subspecies group. Three morphological groups were evident: the first from Queen Charlotte Islands, the second from Alexander Archipelago and Alaska Panhandle, and the third from Vancouver Island and the southern British Columbia coast. We concluded that the subspecies M. a. nesophila should be restricted to the Queen Charlotte Islands; Vancouver Island and southern British Columbia coastal marten are aligned with M. a. caurina. Alaskan marten showed some affinities with the americana subspecies group. The strong differentiation of M. a. nesophila is concordant with the isolation and unique selection regime of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Sexual dimorphism was most pronounced in island samples; possible explanations for this trend are discussed.