Shape variation and modularity of skull and teeth in domesticated horses and wild equids.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In horses, the morphological changes induced by the process of domestication are reportedly less pronounced than in other species, such as dogs or pigs - although the horses' disparity has rarely been empirically tested. We investigated shape differences and modularity of domesticated horses, Przewalski's horses, donkeys and zebras. Mandibular and tooth shape have been shown to be valuable features for differentiating wild and domesticated forms in some mammals.

Results

Both mandible and teeth, show a pattern of shape space occupation analogous to that of the cranium, with domesticated horses occupying a similar extension in shape space to that of wild equids. Only cranial shape data exhibit a tendency to separate domesticated horses and Przewalski's horses from d

SUBMITTER: Heck L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5907714 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature