The effects of altitude on blood and bone histometry and body Size in peromyscus from Nevada and Utah

honors thesisCollege of ScienceBiologyColleen FarmerMartin HorvathThis study aimed to increase our understanding of differences in body mass, relative heart mass, red blood cell size, hematocrit, osteocyte volume and osteocyte density between groups of North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) inhabiting different altitudes in the intermountain west. Mice were captured from two different altitudinal ranges: 6,000-8,000 feet and 10,000-12,000 feet. The results of this experiment showed that red blood cell sizes, hematocrit, and body masses were significantly lower in the high elevation mice. Heart mass relative to body mass was significantly higher. No significant differences were found in osteocyte volume between the mice at the high and low elevations, but the males at low elevations were found to have a significantly higher osteocyte density. These results indicate significant differences exist in morphology and physiology between the high and low elevation lineages