Comparative Macroanatomical Study of the Neurocranium in some Carnivora

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the specific anatomical features of the neurocranium of the skull of the dog, cat, badger, marten and otter. Twenty-five animals (five from each species) were used without sexual distinction. The neurocranium consists of os occipitale, os sphenoidale, os pterygoideum, os ethmoidale, vomer, os temporale, os parietale and os frontale. The processus paracondylaris is projected ventrally in the cat, dog, marten and badger, and caudally in the otter. Two foramina were found laterally on each side of the protuberantia occipitalis externa in the otter, and one foramen was found near the protuberantia occipitalis externa in the badger. Foramen was not seen in other species. Paired ossa parietalia joined each other at the midline, forming the sutura sagittalis in the badger, dog, otter and cat while it was separated by the linea temporalis in the marten. The os frontale was small in otters, narrow and long in martens, and quite wide in cats and dogs. The bulla tympanica was rounded in the marten, dog, cat and badger, dorsoventral compressed in otter, and it was very large in all species examined. These observations represented interspecies differences in the neurocranium of marten, otter, badger, cat and dog.

ON THE SKULL MORPHOLOGY OF RACCOON DOG (NYCTEREUTES PROCYONOIDES) AND RED FOX (VULPES VULPES)

“…The ventral direction of paracondylar processes is also observed in dogs, cats, badgers and martens (Karan et al 2006). We also found that both species investigated possess an oval-shaped foramen magnum.…”

“…We also found that both species investigated possess an oval-shaped foramen magnum. The same shape for raccoon dogs was reported by Hidaka et al (1998), whereas for dogs, cats, badgers and martens by Karan et al (2006). Well-articulated zygomatic processes of the frontal bones are typical of dogs, badges and martens, whereas in cats they extend to the frontal processes of the zygomatic bones (Karan et al 2006).…”

“…Japanese scientists compared the skulls of badgers (Meles meles) and raccoon dogs belonging to different families (Hidaka et al 1998). Comparative craniological analysis was done for several predator species: dog, cat, badger, marten (Martes foina) and otter (Lutra lutra) (Karan et al 2006). Studies of skull morphology of red fox (Sjøvold 1977) and variations in skull morphology of farmed arctic fox (Alopex lagopus L.) (Welling et al 2001) were also conducted.…”

Anatomical and radiographic study of the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) skull1

“…The tympanic bulla is not well developed in Didelphis albiventris, unlike well developed in porcupine (Yilmaz 1998), ferret (He et al 2002), badger, otter, marten, cat, and dog (Karan et al 2006, Dyce et al 2010. There is no difference between bone formation found in the hard palate of the white-eared opossum skull and in the dog (Dyce et al 2010).…”

“…The supraorbital foramen was absent in the white-eared opossum. In the raccoon, badger, otter, and marten skull, the supraorbital foramen was also absent (Yilmaz et al 2000, Dinc 2001, Karan et al 2006.…”