JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
Integrity Research Journals
ISSN: 2536-7099
Model: Open Access/Peer Reviewed
DOI: 10.31248/JASVM
Start Year: 2016
Email: jasvm@integrityresjournals.org
Age-related allometric growth patterns of skull morphometry in Kuri cattle (Bos taurus) part (1): Dorsal and lateral aspect
https://doi.org/10.31248/JASVM2026.671 | Article Number: B54CDA094 | Vol.11 (4) - August 2026
Received Date: 10 June 2026 | Accepted Date: 19 July 2026 | Published Date: 08 August 2026
Authors: Baba Gana Gambo , Ali Musa Wulgo* , Mohammed Kachallah Malah , Shettima Burah , Mohammed Buhari Abdulhamid , Ahmed Yahaya and James Olukayode Olopade
Keywords: Cranial morphometry; Kuri cattle; skull anatomy; viscerocranium.
The present study evaluated age-related changes in the skull morphology of Kuri cattle, an indigenous breed native to the Lake Chad Basin. A total of 30 skulls (15 males and 15 females) were collected from selected abattoirs in Nigeria and classified into three age groups: young (< 3 years), middle-aged (3–5 years), and aged (> 5 years). Following preparation by hot-water maceration and hydrogen peroxide bleaching, 27 cranial measurements comprising 13 dorsal and 14 lateral parameters were recorded using standard osteometric techniques. Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation analysis, regression scatter plots, principal component analysis (PCA), boxplots, and correlation heatmaps, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Significant age-related increases were observed in several dorsal cranial parameters, including incisive–nuchal length (44.51 ± 3.66 to 55.89 ± 3.49 cm), viscerocranial length (23.21 ± 1.83 to 28.54 ± 1.59 cm), nasal length, nasal width, and interfrontal suture length (p < 0.05), indicating progressive craniofacial growth and skeletal maturation. Likewise, lateral measurements such as infraorbital foramen to alveolar tooth distance (2.85 ± 0.37 to 3.66 ± 0.47 cm), facial tuberosity to infraorbital foramen distance (3.96 ± 0.32 to 5.25 ± 0.68 cm), orbital circumferences, and orbital diameters increased significantly with advancing age (p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation, regression analyses, PCA biplots, and correlation heatmaps demonstrated strong positive associations and clustering among craniofacial growth variables. In contrast, supraorbital and infraorbital foraminal measurements exhibited minimal age-related variation, indicating early developmental stabilisation of neurovascular landmarks. These findings establish baseline morphometric reference data for Kuri cattle and provide valuable information for comparative anatomy, breed characterisation, forensic identification, regional anaesthesia, craniofacial surgery, and future developmental studies.
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