Comparative Geometrical Morphometries on the Mandibles of Anatolian Wild Sheep (Ovis gmelini anatolica) and Akkaraman Sheep (Ovis aries)

Abstract

Summary Akkaraman sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) are densely breed in the region of Middle Anatolian in Turkey. Anatolian wild sheep (Ovis gmelini anatolica Valenciennes, 1856) is also subspecies of a wild sheep existing in the exact center of these lands and exists as little number only in the place of Bozdag at the east of Konya. In this study, it is aimed that the mandibular bones of the Akkaraman sheep and Anatolian wild sheep are compared for morphologic and geometric morphometrics. In this study, the mandibular bones of 16 Anatolian wild sheep and 10 specimen Akkaraman sheep were used. In this study, the mandibular bones of the species were appeared quite similar. The geometric morphometrics analysis clearly determined the morphological differences between both species. On the lateral direction of the mandibular bones of each species, mutual ten each pieces homolog landmarks were used. In the analysis of the relative warp, RW1 explained 56.46% of total variation and RW2 explained 11.40% of total variation. Evident differences were determined among all of the homologous landmarks (except to anterio-ventral corner’s point of P 2 tooth) used at the mandible of Anatolian wild sheep and Akkaraman sheep. As the most evident, firstly, posterio-ventral corner of M 3 tooth and homologous landmarks in the levels of anterior directed combination of lines of the angel for the vessels and dorsal-ventral masseteric ridges were observed..