Ontogenetic changes in the skull of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris SCHREBER, 1777)

Abstract

The postnatal changes of the skull of the male and the female European wildcat are described in detail using linear measurements and geometric morphometrics. Overall, the analysis of the linear measurements and of the geometric morphometrics of the landmark data indicate the same postnatal changes in the skull morphology, which are, however, described better by geometric morphometrics. The changes mainly affect the caudal part of the skull and, in the mandible, the coronoid and the angular process as well as the ventral rim. Three growth phases can be distinguished particularly on the basis of the linear measurements with the fastest growth and the most obvious changes in the skull occurring from birth to about 7 months, slowed down growth from about 7 to 14 months, and only little growth from 14 to about 24 months of age, when the growth curves for most linear measurements level off. None of the easy and non-destructive means of the linear measurements employed was found to clearly determine the age of a skull.