Morphological characteristics of the masseter muscle of 22 ruminant species

Abstract

The bilateral masseter muscle was dissected from formalin preserved heads of 41 ruminants belonging to 22 species and three feeding types. Topographic relations of the masseter portions were reexamined in relation to mandibular shape. In contrast to earlier observations, masseter weight is significantly correlated with body weight irrespective of body size and feeding type, amounting in all ruminants to approximately 0.20% of body weight. Morphophysiological differences in masseter attachment and leverage are due to the different arrangements of masseter muscle tissue.