Osteo-morphometry in Ouled-Djellal White Arab sheep: Age-related correlations between mandible, skull and body measurements

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology

مقالات آماده انتشار، پذیرفته شده، انتشار آنلاین از تاریخ 31 تیر 1404   

نوع مقاله: Research Article

شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22067/ijvst.2025.92718.1491

نویسندگان

Maya Boukerrou^{* 1}؛ Rania Ridouh¹؛ Alaa Eddine Djeghar¹؛ Faiza Tekkouk - Zemmouchi¹؛ Baaissa Babelhadj²؛ Allowen Evin³؛ Claude Guintard⁴

¹Gestion Santé et Productions Animales Research Laboratory, Institut des Sciences Vétérinaires El-Khroub, Université Constantine 1 Frères Mentouri, Constantine 25000, Algeria

²Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Ecosystems Protection in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Kasdi Merbah, Ghardaïa road 30000 Ouargla, Algeria + Ecole normale supérieure

³Institute of Evolutionary Science-Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France

⁴Comparative Anatomy Unit, National Veterinary School of Nantes, Vet Agro Bio Nantes-Oniris, route de Gâchet, CS 40706, 44307 Nantes cedex 03, France

چکیده

The Algerian Ouled Djellal White Arab is the predominant sheep breed in the Algerian steppes and high plains, known for its resilience and meat production capacity. This study examines correlations between mandibular, body, and craniometric measurements in two age groups to create a reference dataset for archaeozoology. Thirty female Ouled Djellal sheep, evenly divided into young adults and adults, were analyzed. Eight body measurements were recorded pre-slaughter, followed by eight mandibular and sixteen craniometric measurements after bone preparation, with four indices subsequently calculated. Results showed significant correlations between mandibular and body measurements, and between mandibular and craniometric parameters. Significant correlations were more numerous and stronger for adults (ranging from 0.47 to 0.70) than for young adults (from 0.41 to 0.67). While differences in covariation strength were observed between age groups, some correlations remained consistent through growth, such as those obtained between thoracic perimeter (TP) and mental foramen length (ML6), and between head length (hL) and the aboral height of the ascending branch (MH1). Dentition-related measurements were more commonly correlated in adults, indicating their fully mature form compared to the continued growth in young adults. These findings highlight the importance of considering the age of specimens when analyzing morphometric data and provide reference data for estimating body size and cranial dimensions from mandible measurements, useful for archaeozoological studies of North African ancient specimens.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Archaeozoology؛ correlations؛ craniometry؛ sheep