Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park
The present study aimed to describe the skull and mandibles of the brown bear ( U. arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park using advanced 3D morpho-geometric techniques. The objective was to explore how sexual dimorphism and size influence cranial structures using advanced 3D geometric morphomet...
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MDPI AG
2024
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172541 https://doaj.org/article/1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 2024-09-30T14:45:39+00:00 Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park Iliana Stefanova Ruzhanova-Gospodinova Silvi Vladova Tomasz Szara Faruk Tandir Ewa Szara Ebru Eravci Yalin Ozan Gündemir 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172541 https://doaj.org/article/1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/17/2541 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-2615 doi:10.3390/ani14172541 2076-2615 https://doaj.org/article/1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 Animals, Vol 14, Iss 17, p 2541 (2024) carnivore cranium shape analysis veterinary anatomy Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 article 2024 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172541 2024-09-17T16:00:44Z The present study aimed to describe the skull and mandibles of the brown bear ( U. arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park using advanced 3D morpho-geometric techniques. The objective was to explore how sexual dimorphism and size influence cranial structures using advanced 3D geometric morphometric methods. Three-dimensional models of the skulls and mandibles of 12 brown bears were used. Differences in skull morphology between male and female brown bears were observed in this study. The male brown bear skull, larger than the female, exhibited a more pronounced extension of the upper part of the nuchal region towards the posterior. Additionally, the posterior part of the frontal region appeared notably thinner in male brown bears compared to females. Analysis of the mandible revealed that the masseteric fossa was more developed in males than females. These shape differences between males and females were found to be influenced by body size. Statistical analyses indicated a significant allometric effect of body size on skull PC1 values, suggesting that giant bears tend to have more elongated skulls. This implies a relationship in which larger individuals exhibit greater cranial elongation. In contrast, mandible PC1 values showed no size-related variation, indicating that mandibular shape is less influenced by overall body size. However, PC2 values in the mandible increased significantly with larger specimens, indicating a larger masseteric fossa in larger bears. This morphological adaptation potentially enhances feeding efficiency and bite strength in larger individuals, reflecting functional adaptations in brown-bear mandibular morphology. These findings contribute to our understanding of sexual dimorphism and size-related morphological adaptations in brown bears, providing insights into their adaptation biology and ecological roles within their habitats. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Fossa ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) Animals 14 17 2541 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
carnivore cranium shape analysis veterinary anatomy Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 |
spellingShingle |
carnivore cranium shape analysis veterinary anatomy Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 Iliana Stefanova Ruzhanova-Gospodinova Silvi Vladova Tomasz Szara Faruk Tandir Ewa Szara Ebru Eravci Yalin Ozan Gündemir Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
topic_facet |
carnivore cranium shape analysis veterinary anatomy Veterinary medicine SF600-1100 Zoology QL1-991 |
description |
The present study aimed to describe the skull and mandibles of the brown bear ( U. arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park using advanced 3D morpho-geometric techniques. The objective was to explore how sexual dimorphism and size influence cranial structures using advanced 3D geometric morphometric methods. Three-dimensional models of the skulls and mandibles of 12 brown bears were used. Differences in skull morphology between male and female brown bears were observed in this study. The male brown bear skull, larger than the female, exhibited a more pronounced extension of the upper part of the nuchal region towards the posterior. Additionally, the posterior part of the frontal region appeared notably thinner in male brown bears compared to females. Analysis of the mandible revealed that the masseteric fossa was more developed in males than females. These shape differences between males and females were found to be influenced by body size. Statistical analyses indicated a significant allometric effect of body size on skull PC1 values, suggesting that giant bears tend to have more elongated skulls. This implies a relationship in which larger individuals exhibit greater cranial elongation. In contrast, mandible PC1 values showed no size-related variation, indicating that mandibular shape is less influenced by overall body size. However, PC2 values in the mandible increased significantly with larger specimens, indicating a larger masseteric fossa in larger bears. This morphological adaptation potentially enhances feeding efficiency and bite strength in larger individuals, reflecting functional adaptations in brown-bear mandibular morphology. These findings contribute to our understanding of sexual dimorphism and size-related morphological adaptations in brown bears, providing insights into their adaptation biology and ecological roles within their habitats. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Iliana Stefanova Ruzhanova-Gospodinova Silvi Vladova Tomasz Szara Faruk Tandir Ewa Szara Ebru Eravci Yalin Ozan Gündemir |
author_facet |
Iliana Stefanova Ruzhanova-Gospodinova Silvi Vladova Tomasz Szara Faruk Tandir Ewa Szara Ebru Eravci Yalin Ozan Gündemir |
author_sort |
Iliana Stefanova Ruzhanova-Gospodinova |
title |
Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
title_short |
Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
title_full |
Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
title_fullStr |
Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
title_full_unstemmed |
Morpho-Geometric Description of the Skulls and Mandibles of Brown Bears ( Ursus arctos ) from the Dancing Bear Belitsa Park |
title_sort |
morpho-geometric description of the skulls and mandibles of brown bears ( ursus arctos ) from the dancing bear belitsa park |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172541 https://doaj.org/article/1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) |
geographic |
Fossa |
geographic_facet |
Fossa |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
Animals, Vol 14, Iss 17, p 2541 (2024) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/17/2541 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-2615 doi:10.3390/ani14172541 2076-2615 https://doaj.org/article/1d81c9f1f23545cdb4d063ce9fe93c74 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172541 |
container_title |
Animals |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
17 |
container_start_page |
2541 |
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1811646169706659840 |