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Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
FLUCTUATING ODONTOMETRIC ASYMMETRY, MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY, AND GENETIC MONOMORPHISM IN THE CHEETAH ACINONYX
Julius A Kieser1, H T Groeneveld1
1Department of Oral Pathology, Dental School, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA Institute for Biostatistics, M.R.C., Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA.
Abstract:
The magnitudes of dimensional variability and fluctuating asymmetry in dental dimensions are reported for a sample of South African cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. To test the hypothesis that elevated levels of variability and asymmetry are associated with the increased developmental instability reported for this species, our results were contrasted to those for two other felids: Felis lybica and F. caracal. These findings suggest that dental dimensions in cheetahs are not significantly more variable or asymmetric. Hence, it is concluded that the cheetah may not be as developmentally unstable as was previously supposed.
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