Leandro dos S. L. Hohl; Fernando L. Sicuro; Concepción Azorit; Rafael Carrasco & Oscar Rocha-Barbosa

Summary

Morphological variation of the ramus mandibulae of wild Sus scrofa was described and correlated to sex and age differences. Young forms (n=27, 15 males, 12 females) and adults (n=23, 13 males, 10 females) were analyzed through Geometric Morphometrics (2-D) to assess differences between groups. We found significant differences between age- and sex-related shape variations at ramus mandibulae level. Young wild boars present bulky angular process with backward oriented coronoid process, while adults show slender jaw vertical ramus, and orthogonally oriented coronoid process. The ramus mandibulae in female wild boars is more robust and bulky than in males. The morphological changes between young and adult forms are related to alterations in the osteo-muscular jaw complex along wild boars ontogeny. The jaw morphological variations observed in adult wild boars could also be related to dietary differences between sexes.

KEY WORDS: Mandible; Ontogeny; Sexual Dimorphism; Wild boar.

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