Marked directional skull asymmetry in the Araucan horse
Deviations from the perfect symmetry of normally bilateral symmetrical characters occur during individual development due to the influence of multiple factors. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is the random developmental variation of a trait (or character) that is perfectly symmetrical, on average, across...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2020 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repositorio: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:10459.1/68318 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1702986 http://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/68318 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Araucan Bilateral asymmetry Directional asymmetry Fluctuating asymmetry |
| Sumario: | Deviations from the perfect symmetry of normally bilateral symmetrical characters occur during individual development due to the influence of multiple factors. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is the random developmental variation of a trait (or character) that is perfectly symmetrical, on average, across a population. Directional asymmetry (DA) occurs when one side of the pair of body sides is strongly more marked. Objective: We investigated the presence and level of skull FA and DA in the Araucan horse, a breed from East Colombia. Study Design: A sample of 21 skulls belonging to adult animals was studied by means of standard geometric-morphometric methods using 16 landmarks on the dorsal aspect of the crania. Results: Measurements showed a significant DA with a consistent rightward shift of the splanchnocrania. Conclusions: The results of this study raise questions about the influence of masticatory biomechanics on the asymmetric development of the skull, and also about how management and ingesta-specific properties (such as abrasiveness) may influence this asymmetry. |
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