Comparative Biology of Two Temperatetropical Rodent Counterparts

Peromyscus leucopus and Oryzomys capito are North and South American ecologic counterparts, respectively. When their morphological characteristics (e.g., external morphology, dentition, and gut morphology) and ecological characteristics (e.g., reproductive and mortality rates, population densities, home range sizes, and food habits) are compared, the two species are generally similar, despite living under widely different biotic and abiotic conditions. Many of their similarities have presumably resulted from similar environmental selective pressures.