Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BIOLOGIA, ss.1-14, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica Bolkay, 1925), one of the subspecies of the Alpine chamois, is one important faunal representative of the Balkan region listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because of habitat loss, hunting, and disturbance by human activities. The study aimed to document the morphological and morphometrical parameters of the skull and mandible of R. r. balcanica. The sexual dimorphism detection of the Balkan chamois skull was another study objective. In total, 47 and 18 linear morphometric parameters were assessed from the skull and mandible, respectively, in 21 Balkan chamois skulls. Additionally, five indices of the skull were calculated. Among the 47 linear parameters measured on the skull, only 16 were statistically significant, primarily on the caudal surface. The study shows that the Balkan chamois skull is characterized by its long, narrow shape with a sharp top, as indicated by the Skull index (40.35), while the orbits (left, right) and foramen magnum appear nearly circular, demonstrated by their respective indices (94.96; 96.16 and 96.28). The average skull length was 210.82 ± 8.15 mm in females and 210.5 ± 6.39 mm in males. This study provides for the first time elements of clinical anatomy, including the location of infraorbital foramina, inter supraorbital foramina distance, as well as the mental and mandibular foramina which can be used in the clinical veterinary practice, especially for the veterinarian working with wild fauna.