Asymmetry in the bone weight of the rabbit mandible.

Abstract

Asymmetry in the weight of the mandible and teeth was studied in 60 rabbits consisting of 40 young rabbits (males 20, females 20, weighing around 1.9kg) and 20 adult rabbits (females 20, weighing around 2.7kg).And the authors examined whether the one sided dominance would exist or not, and the relation of the dominant side between the mandible and the teeth. The following conclusions were obtained.1. The mean weights of the mandible and the teeth are greater on the dominant side (p<0.001).2. The degree of difference between the dominant and non-dominant side in the mandible and the teeth by the method of von VERSCHUER'S average percentile deviation is greater on adult rabbits than on young ones.3. There do not exist one-sided dominance in the mandible and the teeth of both young and adult rabbits.4. The relation of the dominant side between the mandible and the teeth is not clear in young rabbits but adult ones show the same side dominance between them.