Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics
The distinction between bones of sheep and bones of goats is a difficult issue in zooarchaeology. Several studies undertaken in the past to facilitate this task have relied upon both qualitative criteria and osteometry. Geometric morphometrics has proved to be a powerful tool to evaluate morphologic...
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/21/2945 |
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| author | Lluís Lloveras Carme Rissech Simon Davis Pere M. Parés-Casanova |
| author_facet | Lluís Lloveras Carme Rissech Simon Davis Pere M. Parés-Casanova |
| author_sort | Lluís Lloveras |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The distinction between bones of sheep and bones of goats is a difficult issue in zooarchaeology. Several studies undertaken in the past to facilitate this task have relied upon both qualitative criteria and osteometry. Geometric morphometrics has proved to be a powerful tool to evaluate morphological differences in a rigorous and detailed manner. This study aims to analyse variations in the morphology of the calcaneum among sheep and goats based upon two-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM). Twenty landmarks were selected on the surfaces of 79 calcanea (47 sheep and 32 goats) to calculate the principal components of shape variations among these specimens. Clear interspecific differences in the morphology of this bone were extracted. Most are located on the calcaneal tuber and neck, the sustentacular tali region, the articular surfaces of both the malleolus and the cubonavicular. Furthermore, the use of GM methods has enabled us to assess small but significant amounts of geometric variation that are difficult to measure using traditional morphometric techniques. They provide a new and useful perspective to what is already known in the published literature. Our results shed new light upon the possibility of the existence of qualitative features that may help to distinguish caprine breeds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:20:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-320b0bea3b914f22a742ad2742ed91cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:20:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-320b0bea3b914f22a742ad2742ed91cf2023-11-24T03:24:21ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-10-011221294510.3390/ani12212945Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric MorphometricsLluís Lloveras0Carme Rissech1Simon Davis2Pere M. Parés-Casanova3Departament d’Història i Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, SpainDepartament de Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, SpainLaboratório de Arqueociências, DGPC, Calçada Do Mirante à Ajuda 10A, 1300-418 Lisbon, PortugalEscola Agrària Del Pirineu, Finca Les Colomines (Bellestar), 25711 Montferrer i Castellbò, SpainThe distinction between bones of sheep and bones of goats is a difficult issue in zooarchaeology. Several studies undertaken in the past to facilitate this task have relied upon both qualitative criteria and osteometry. Geometric morphometrics has proved to be a powerful tool to evaluate morphological differences in a rigorous and detailed manner. This study aims to analyse variations in the morphology of the calcaneum among sheep and goats based upon two-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM). Twenty landmarks were selected on the surfaces of 79 calcanea (47 sheep and 32 goats) to calculate the principal components of shape variations among these specimens. Clear interspecific differences in the morphology of this bone were extracted. Most are located on the calcaneal tuber and neck, the sustentacular tali region, the articular surfaces of both the malleolus and the cubonavicular. Furthermore, the use of GM methods has enabled us to assess small but significant amounts of geometric variation that are difficult to measure using traditional morphometric techniques. They provide a new and useful perspective to what is already known in the published literature. Our results shed new light upon the possibility of the existence of qualitative features that may help to distinguish caprine breeds.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/21/2945shape<i>Ovis aries</i><i>Capra hircus</i>small bovidcalcaneumosteology |
| spellingShingle | Lluís Lloveras Carme Rissech Simon Davis Pere M. Parés-Casanova Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics Animals shape <i>Ovis aries</i> <i>Capra hircus</i> small bovid calcaneum osteology |
| title | Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics |
| title_full | Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics |
| title_fullStr | Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics |
| title_short | Morphological Differences between Sheep and Goat Calcanea Using Two-Dimensional Geometric Morphometrics |
| title_sort | morphological differences between sheep and goat calcanea using two dimensional geometric morphometrics |
| topic | shape <i>Ovis aries</i> <i>Capra hircus</i> small bovid calcaneum osteology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/21/2945 |
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