Publicación:

Evaluación aloídica de la cabeza. Un ejemplo en el caballo árabe

Resumen

Morphometric variables are important to analyze morphological variation and knowledge in animal species quantitatively. The objective of the present study was to apply geometric morphometry techniques to detect possible differences in the head profile between female, stallions and castrated males of Purebred Arabian animals (n=65) and their F1 crosses (n=17). For this, we proceeded to the study of 82 registered animals (13 stallions, 42 females and 27 castrates), adults (age range: 5-24 years) using digital pictures obtained from each animal in the lateral plane. Subsequently, a set of 13 landmarks and 23 semi-landmarks was located in each image, which served to quantify the profile. From the statistical treatment of the data obtained, it was observed that statistically significant differences appear between the three groups, differences centered at the level of the fronto-nasal limit and the snout. The results suggest that it is important to consider sexual dimorphism shape to evaluate the breed. In addition, it is inferred that geometric morphometry allows the quantitative evaluation of a racial characteristic as necessary as the head profile, so this simple and very low-cost technique would enable new approaches for the study and comparison of other equine breeds and the detailed description of possible sexual dimorphisms.