Interspecific comparison of allometry between body weight and chest girth in domestic bovids.

ABSTRACT: The sizes of body parts often co-vary through exponential scaling, known as allometry. The evolution of allometry is central to the generation of morphological diversity. To make inferences regarding the evolved responses in allometry to natural and artificial selection, we compared allometric parameters (slope and intercept) among seven species and breeds of domestic bovids using cross-sectional ontogenetic data and attempted to interpret the differences in these parameters. The allometric slopes were not different among some species, whereas those between breeds within species were, indicating that the slopes were typically invariant but could be changed under strong, specific selection. With the exception of yak, the differences in the intercept independent of the slopes (the alternativ

SUBMITTER: Anzai H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5500593 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature