An osteometric study was carried out on 126 mandibles of male and female deer Cervus elaphus hispanicus Linnaeus, 1758 hunted between 1992 and 1998 in Sierra Morena (SE Spain). Age of animals was estimated in months using thin sections of the first lower molar (M1). Length measurements of the mandible were plotted against age. An analysis of variance was used to assess the influence of year of birth, sex, size of estates and deer abundance within each closed estate on mandible length. Results reveal a differential growth between males and females, along with differences in jaw morphology. Growth is complete at 55-56 months (4.5-5 years) in females and at 80-85 months (6.5-7 years) in males. The jaw angle, the condylar process and the coronoid process are larger in males. All measurements were larger in animals born in 1989 or earlier, and lower in animals born after 1993, revealing the strong influence of climatic conditions. A negative effect of the deer abundance on growth was also observed.
JavaScript jest wyłączony w Twojej przeglądarce internetowej. Włącz go, a następnie odśwież stronę, aby móc w pełni z niej korzystać.