3D Geometric Morphometric Analysis on Sexual Dimorphism in the Sella Turcica in Romanov Sheep Using CT Scan

Area of Science:

• Comparative anatomy
• Morphometrics
• Animal science

Background:

• The sella turcica, a critical skull base depression housing the pituitary gland, offers insights into growth, endocrine function, and pathology.
• Its morphology is key for understanding physiological and pathological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex-based morphological variations in the sella turcica of Romanov sheep.
• Utilizing advanced 3D geometric morphometric techniques to quantify these differences.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 20 Romanov sheep (10 male, 10 female) using 3D models.
• Identification of 13 anatomical landmarks processed with 3D Slicer software.
• Statistical analysis of landmark coordinates using PAST for sexual shape differentiation.

Main Results:

• Significant sexual dimorphism observed in sella turcica shape (p < 0.001).
• Males present a deeper and longer sella turcica.
• Females display a wider and shallower sella turcica morphology.

Conclusions:

• Geometric morphometrics confirms distinct sex-related shape variations in the sella turcica.
• These findings provide valuable anatomical references for sex identification in clinical, zooarchaeological, forensic, and anthropological contexts.