Altitudinal Distribution and Body Size among New Guinean Rattus (Rodentia: Muridae)

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Abstract
Native Rattus of New Guinea do not conform to the prediction of Bergmann's rule. A strong negative correlation of body size and altitude is evident when all species are considered together. Although this correlation is not always mirrored intraspecifically, it prevails among those species whose distributions approach sea level. Individual species restricted to higher elevations either follow the same trend or do not change appreciably in size within the altitudinal range of their distributions. Selection pressures other than those implicit in Bergmann's rule must be contributing to body size differences. A few of these factors are suggested and discussed.

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