The effects of changing climate on skull size in the common shrew

We assesed the impact of the changes in climate on the overall skull size
(the proxy of the overall body size) and the seasonal changes of skull
height (Dehnel’s phenomenon) in skulls of the common shrew, Sorex araneus,
collected over 50 years in the Białowieża Forest, E Poland. Overall skull
size decreased, along with increasing temperatures and decreasing soil
moisture, which determined the availability of the shrews’ main food
source, earthworms. The magnitude of Dehnel’s phenomenon increased over
time, indicating an increasing selection pressure on animals in winter.
Two files include the data on 1) the size of the skulls of Sorex araneus
collected in the Białowieża Forest  between 1953 and 2004; and 2)
the meteorological data from Białowieża, from 1952 to 2004.