Macroscopic, morphometric, and tomographic features of the mandible of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) applied to clinical morpho‐physiology and imaging

Abstract

Veterinary dentistry is one of the specialties with the greatest potential to contribute to animal welfare; however, it requires a deep anatomical knowledge of the region to be treated. Therefore, the aim was to describe the macroscopic, morphometric, and tomographic anatomy of the mandible of the collared peccary in order to provide support for a better understanding of local morpho‐physiology and to improve clinical procedures and interpretation of imaging exams in live adult specimens. Four mandibles from wild adult Pecari tajacu were used. The mandibles were submitted to CT scanning, and comparative analyses were performed using multiplanar views. Afterward, mandibular morphometry was conducted following the literature. Each hemimandible is composed of body, angle, and ramus. The main bony landmarks are the mandibular foramen, three main lateral mental foramina, two medial mental foramina, condylar and coronoid processes, and mandibular and angular notches. The teeth are bunodont, and the dental formula is I3/C1/PM3/M3. All bony structures were observed both in the prepared mandible and in the tomographic images and their 3D reconstruction. No obvious differences were observed in the morphometric data between males and females, or between right and left hemimandibles. It can be concluded that the mandible of the collared peccary may be anatomically structured to favor its omnivorous feeding habit. CT scan proved to be an excellent tool for evaluating the teeth and mandible, and it also provides reliable 3D bone reconstructions that can be helpful in the structural identification and the planning of oral care in live adult animals.

Topographic, Morphological and Morphometric Investigation of Mandible in Norduz Sheep

“…Sex-related differences are strongly evident in the head skeletons of ruminant animals within a species [9]. Numerous research on the bones that comprise the skull in an integral way has made significant contributions to both comparative anatomy and clinical applications [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. It can be utilized to determine the characteristics of bones obtained in excavation studies as well as morphometric research used as a reference for comparative anatomy and practical applications.…”

Editorial: Comparative cranial morpho-physiology applied to domestic and wild animals

“…It is also necessary to consider the specificities of a wide range of species, anticipating them as potential patients ( 3 ). Species-specific studies are of great value as they provide a basis for greater clinical-surgical safety by not extrapolating morphological data obtained from different species ( 9 , 10 ). Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a more detailed and applicable analysis of information obtained from a group of animals or a specific species of interest.…”