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Dissection, MicroCT Scanning and Morphometric Analyses of the Baculum
Published on: March 19, 2017
Morphological, Morphometric and Phaneroptic Variations of the Mediterranean Donkey and Tunisian Perspective on
Mohamed Aroua1, Nour Elhouda Fehri2, Antonella Fatica3
1Laboratoire d' Appui à la Durabilité des Systèmes de Production Agricoles du Nord-Ouest, Ecole Supérieure d'Agriculture du Kef, Université de Jendouba, Complexe Universitaire Boulifa, Le Kef 7119, Tunisia.
Abstract:
The domestic donkey (Equus asinus) remains an essential component of agricultural systems worldwide, particularly in rural Tunisia. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive morphological characterization of the Tunisian donkey population, focusing on phaneroptic variation, sexual dimorphism and live weight prediction. A total of 556 clinically healthy donkeys, consisting of 207 males and 349 females, were sampled from various governorates in Tunisia. Descriptive statistics revealed significant variability in withers height (98-147 cm), thoracic circumference (100-165 cm) and body length (86-144 cm). Principal Component Analysis identified coat color and belly pigmentation as major contributors to phaneroptic variation, explaining 69.556% of the total variance. Hierarchical Ascendant Classification further classified the population into three distinct groups, with Group I exhibiting smaller body dimensions, Group II having medium sizes, and Group III consisting of larger donkeys. Sexual dimorphism was detected in neck circumference (females: 64.30 cm vs. males: 61.97 cm; FDR-adjusted p = 0.0468). Regression models for predicting live weight indicated that thoracic circumference was the most reliable single predictor (R2 = 95.4%). Overall, the study documents a wide range of morpho-biometric variation within the Tunisian donkey population and provides practical tools for field-based weight estimation, offering valuable insights for future conservation strategies and management programs.
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