[Analysis of various taxon specific parameters of the guard hair cuticles for development of the mammalian identification system by morphometric characteristics of their hair].

Mathematical indices of the structure of the external surface of guard hairs have been developed on the basis of a KS300 system of automatic image analysis (Kontrom Elektronik, Germany), which are capable of serving, in some cases, as diagnostic parameters of large taxa (order, family). The guard hair morphology is affected by various factors, such as body region where a given hair is located, season, diet, sex of individual, and state of its health, which is expressed in changes of some morphometric data. For a more complete analysis of the characteristics of the guard hair structure, it is necessary to use indices that describe the macro- and microstructure of the external surface of the stem and its internal structure.