Abstract
Human-directed selective breeding has modified the phenotype of the modern Persian cat towards an extreme brachycephalic phenotype (‘peke-face’ Persian), which originates from a spontaneous mutation that first appeared in the 1950s in traditional Persian types. It was suggested that the peke-face phenotype results from pathologic skull development and might represent a craniosynostosis of the coronal sutures. We followed this hypothesis and investigated the time dependent status of the neurocranial sutures and synchondroses in an ontogenetic series of doll-faced and peke-faced Persian cats compared to Domestic Shorthair cats (DSHs). Cranial suture closure was assessed by examining an ontogenetic series of formalin-fixed head specimens (n = 55) and dry skulls (n = 32) using micro-computed tomography. Sagittal, metopic, coronal and lambdoid sutures as well as intersphenoidal, spheno-occipital and spheno-ethmoid synchondroses were examined. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the global effect of age on suture closure within a group of peke-face Persians, doll-face Persians and DSHs and the 50% probability of having a closed suture was calculated and compared between groups. Age was a perfect predictor for the condition of the coronal sutures in peke-face Persians. Coronal sutures were found to be closed at 0–0.3 months. In doll-face and DSHs, coronal sutures were open throughout the lifetime with the exception of a few very old cats. Results of this study confirmed a coronal craniosynostosis that likely causes the extreme brachycephalic skull morphology in the peke-face Persian.
Highlights
Abbreviations CS Complete separation Domestic Shorthair cats (DSHs) Domestic Shorthair cat MCT Micro-computed tomography μm Micrometre μA Micro ampere mm Millimetre S1 Sagittal suture S2 Metopic suture S3 Left coronal suture S4 Right coronal suture S5 Left lambdoid suture S6 Right lambdoid suture S7 Intersphenoidal synchondrosis vetmed.uni-giessen.de
Human-directed selective breeding has modified the modern Persian cat towards an extreme brachycephalic phenotype with a fundamentally altered head morphology including an extremely round, dome-shaped head, protruding eyes and greatly reduced facial bones resulting in the forehead, nose and jaws being in vertical alignment when viewed from the side[1,2]
We examined the time dependent status of the neurocranial sutures and synchondroses in an ontogenetic series of doll-faced and peke-faced Persian cats compared to DSH following the hypothesis that peke-face Persians undergo premature closure of the coronal sutures
Summary
Abbreviations CS Complete separation DSH Domestic Shorthair cat MCT Micro-computed tomography μm Micrometre μA Micro ampere mm Millimetre S1 Sagittal suture S2 Metopic suture S3 Left coronal suture S4 Right coronal suture S5 Left lambdoid suture S6 Right lambdoid suture S7 Intersphenoidal synchondrosis vetmed.uni-giessen.de. Human-directed selective breeding has modified the modern Persian cat towards an extreme brachycephalic phenotype with a fundamentally altered head morphology including an extremely round, dome-shaped head, protruding eyes and greatly reduced facial bones resulting in the forehead, nose and jaws being in vertical alignment when viewed from the side[1,2]. This type was called ‘peke-face’ Persian by breeders, which refers to the highly brachycephalic Pekingese dog[1]. We examined the time dependent status of the neurocranial sutures and synchondroses in an ontogenetic series of doll-faced and peke-faced Persian cats compared to DSH following the hypothesis that peke-face Persians undergo premature closure of the coronal sutures
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