Morphometrical Studies on Humerus of Indian Blackbuck (Antilope Cervicapra )

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Morphometrical Studies on Humerus of Indian Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra )

Om Prakash Choudhary and Ishwer Singh

1Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Selesih, Aizawl-796 014, Mizoram, India 2Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263 145, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract The present study was carried out on the humerus of Indian blackbuck. The shaft of the humerus was slightly twisted, cylindrical and

presented four surfaces. The caudal surface presented a nutrient foramen in *Corresponding Author: its distal third towards lateral surface. It bore a small teres tubercle placed at the proximal third. The musculo-spiral groove was shallow. The deltoid OP Choudhary, Assistant Professor tuberosity was found as small rough convexity and less prominent. In the proximal extremity, head was roughly rounded and faced caudo-dorsally. Email: [email protected] The neck was well-defined and was distinct only caudally and laterally. The lateral tuberosity was large and curved over the inter-tubercular groove. It consisted of a prominent cranial part and a less well defined small caudal Received: 24/02/2016 part, which was triangular in outline. The minor tubercle was much smaller Revised: 10/03/2016 Accepted: 12/03/2016 and did not divide noticeably. The inter-tubercular groove was present between both the tubercles. The distal extremity had two condyles, two epicondyles and two fossae. The coronoid fossae and olecranon fossae communicated by a small supra-trochlear foramen in some specimens.

Key words : Blackbuck, Musculo-spiral groove, Condyle, Coronoid fossa, Supra-trochlear foramen, Humerus .

1. Introduction Government of Rajasthan. The skeletons were collected The Indian blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra ) is from the Jodhpur zoo after official approvals from the an ungulate species of antelope native to the Indian Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) vide Subcontinent that has been classified as near threatened letter no. F, 3 (02) Tech-II/CCF/2010/714 dated by IUCN since 2003, as its range has decreased sharply 07.05.2014. The skeletons were excavated out from the during the 20 th century. The blackbuck is protected graveyards located in the premises of Jodhpur zoo and under Schedule “I” of the Indian Wildlife Protection processed as per standard technique (Raghavan, 1964). Act, 1972 (Choudhary and Singh, 2015). The aim of Subsequently, these osteological specimens were this study is to investigate humerus of blackbuck, studies to record their gross morphological features. thereby making a contribution in filling the gap of Different parameters of the humerus were measured knowledge in this field. As per knowledge, in many and subjected to routine statistical analysis (Snedecor vetero-legal cases, one fails to identify the bones of this and Cochran, 1994). animal and confuse them with those of some other small ruminants. This investigation will be helpful to 3. Results and Discussion the field veterinarians as well as zoo veterinarians. The humerus (Fig 1-2) was a long, less twisted and strong bone as described by Raghavan (1964) in 2. Materials and Methods ox, Talukdar et al. (2002) in mithun, Sarma et al. The present study was conducted on humerus of (2008) in nilgai and Choudhary et al. (2013) in chital; six adult Indian blackbuck of either sex. The whereas it was almost straight in camel (Smuts and permission for the specimen collection was sought Bezuidenhout, 1987). from the Deputy Inspector General (WL), Ministry of The lateral surface of the shaft was spiral, Environment and Forests (MoEF), New Delhi, India smooth and presented a shallow musculo-spiral groove and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), (sulcus musculo-brachialis) as revealed by Raghavan (1964) in ox, Sarma and Kalita (2008) in Asian

Journal of Wildlife Research | January-March, 2016 | Vol 4 | Issue 1 | Pages 06-09 © 2016 Jakraya Publications (P) Ltd Choudhary and Singh…Morphometrical Studies on Humerus of Indian Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)

Fig 1: Cranial view of the humerus Fig 2: Caudal view of the humerus showing lateral tuberosity (a); showing anterior part of lateral bicipital groove (b); medial tuberosity (a); posterior part of lateral tuberosity (c); deltoid tuberosity tuberosity (b); head (c); neck (d); (d); radial fossa (e); medial condyle posterior surface (e); nutrient for amen (f); lateral condyle (g). (f); olecranon fossa (g); medial epicondyle (h); lateral epicondyle (i). elephant; whereas it was in contrast to the findings of horse who reported it to be prese nt on lower third of the Getty (1975) in horse and Sarma et al. (2008) in nilgai, medial surface, Smuts and Bezuidenhout (1987) in where it was very prominent. The deltoid tuberosity camel reported it to be present on cranial surface. was small rough convexity and less prominent as The head was roughly rounded as reported in ox described by Getty (1975) in sheep; Raghavan (1964) (Raghavan, 1964 ) and in horse (Getty, 1975); while it in ox; Ozkan (2004) in hedgehogs ; in contrast, it was was oval in dog (Miller et al., 1964). The neck was prominent in dog (Miller et al. , 1964), in horse (Getty, well-defined and distinct only caudally and laterally as 1975), in nilgai (Sarma et al. , 2008) and in tiger described in cat and dog ( Konig and Liebich, 2006); on (Tomer et al. , 2014). The medial surface was almost the contrary, it was ill-defined as reported by Raghavan straight in outline. It had a small teres tubercle placed (1964) in ox, Smuts and Bezuidenhout ( 1987) in at the proximal third as reported by Raghavan ( 1964) in dromedary and Sarma and Kalita ( 2008) in an Asian ox, Getty (1975 ) in horse. However, Talukdar et al. elephant. (2002 ) revealed that it was well developed in the The lateral tuberosity was large in blackbuck as humerus of mithun. revealed by Raghavan ( 1964 ) in ox, Miller et al. (1964) The nutrient foramen was located on distal third in dog, Talukdar et al. (2002) in Mithun and Ozkan of the caudal surface in blackbuck as described by (2004) in hedgehogs . The lateral tuberosity curved ov er Raghavan (1964 ) in ox, Miller et al. (1964) in dog and the bicipital groove and consisted of a prominent Sarma and Kalita (2008) in Asian elephant; these cranial part and a less well defined small caudal part. findings were dissimilar to the reports of Siddiqui et al. The medial tuberosity was comparatively much smaller (2008) in Black Bengal goat, where it was located at and did not divide noticeably as described by Raghavan the distal third of the lateral surface, Getty (1975) in (1964) in ox, Smuts and Bezuidenhout ( 1987) in -

Journal of Wildlife Research | January -March, 2016 | Vol 4 | Issue 1 | Pages 06-09 © 2016 Jakraya Publications (P) Ltd 7 Choudhary and Singh…Morphometrical Studies on Humerus of Indian Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)

Table 1: Different Measurements of the humerus in Indian Blackbuck

Spec Description Maximum Maximum breadth Maximum Maximum Maximum imen length (Lg) of proximal breadth of distal Breadth of breadth of no. extremity (Bp) extremity (Bd) shaft (Bs) head 1. Female-1 left 13.81 4.87 2.81 1.94 2.85 right 13.82 4.87 2.80 1.93 2.84 2. Female-2 left 13.81 4.85 2.79 1.97 2.86 right 13.80 4.86 2.81 1.95 2.87 3. Female -3 left 13.82 4.84 2.80 1.93 2.85 right 13.82 4.85 2.82 1.94 2.87 4. Male -1 left 13.91 4.93 2.84 1.96 2.88 right 13.92 4.91 2.83 1.96 2.87 5. Male-2 left 13.94 4.92 2.84 1.97 2.88 right 13.94 4.93 2.85 1.98 2.89 6. Male-3 left 13.95 4.94 2.83 1.98 2.89 right 13.96 4.92 2.85 1.99 2.90 Range 13.80- 4.84-4.94 2.79-2.85 1.93-1.99 2.84-2.90 13.96 Mean 13.87 4.89 2.82 1.95 2.87 SD 0.065 0.037 0.02 0.02 0.018 SE 0.019 0.01 0.005 0.005 0.005 Female Mean ± SE 13.81 ± 4.85 ± 0.00 2.80 ± 0.00 1.94 ± 0.00 2.85 ± 0.00 0.00 Male Mean ± SE 13.93 ± 4.92 ± 0.01 2.84 ± 0.00 1.97 ± 0.00 2.88 ± 0.00 0.00 dromedary. The inter-tubercular or bicipital groove was Ozkan (2004) in hedgehogs and Choudhary et al. present between both the tubercles. The bicipital (2013) in chital. A supra-condylar foramen was present groove did not divide in the present study; on the immediately above the medial condyle in cat (Kalita contrary, it was sub-divided by an intermediate ridge in and Bhattacharya, 2008) and in tiger (Tomer et al. , horse (Getty, 1975) and by an intermediate tuberosity 2014). in camel (Smuts and Bezuidenhout, 1987). The area for The average length of the humerus of the insertion of the infra-spinous muscle was small as blackbuck was 13.87±0.019 cm. The average breadth reported in dromedary (Smuts and Bezuidenhout, of proximal extremity, shaft and distal extremity was 1987). 4.89±0.01 cm, 1.95±0.005 cm and 2.82±0.005 cm, The distal extremity consisted of two condyles, respectively. The breadth of the head was 2.87±0.005 two epicondyles and two fossae. The medial condyle cm; however, the measurements for chital by was larger as compared to the lateral one, similar to Choudhary et al. (2013) include the total length of most of the animals reviewed. The medial epicondyle humerus being 19.86±0.04 cm, the breadth at proximal (epicondylus medialis) was larger than the lateral one end 5.39±0.02 cm and the breadth at distal end (epicondylus lateralis) as described by Smuts and 3.65±0.03 cm (Tab.1). Bezuidenhout (1987) in dromedary, where the medial The length of the humerus of Turopolje pigs epicondyle was more massive than the lateral one. The was 19.49 cm (Ikic et al. , 2007); however the length lateral epicondylar crest was prominent as reported by and breadth of the humerus of adult Black Bengal goats Smuts and Bezuidenhout (1987) in camel, Talukdar et were 12.06±0.27 cm and 1.66±0.06 cm, respectively al. (2002) in mithun and Sarma and Kalita (2008) in (Siddiqui et al. , 2008). adult Asian elephant. The coronoid or radial fossa (fossa radialis) was 4. Conclusion shallow and wide, whereas the olecranon fossa (fossa The results of the present study on gross olecrani) was deep and narrow as described by Sarma morphological and morphometrical parameters were and Kalita (2008) in an Asian elephant. Both these very useful for forensic investigation of wild animals. fossae communicated by a supra-trochlear foramen in The humerus of Indian Blackbuck was a long, less some specimens as elucidated by Miller et al. (1964) in twisted and strong bone, similar to ox, sheep and goat dog, Haziroglu and Ozer (1990) in Turkish cattle,

Journal of Wildlife Research | January-March, 2016 | Vol 4 | Issue 1 | Pages 06-09 © 2016 Jakraya Publications (P) Ltd 8 Choudhary and Singh…Morphometrical Studies on Humerus of Indian Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) whereas dissimilar to camel, where it was almost massive than lateral one. The coronoid or radial fossa straight. The musculo-spiral groove was shallow. The was shallow and wide whereas the olecranon fossa was deltoid tuberosity was less prominent similar to ox, deep and narrow. Both these fossae communicated by a sheep and goat but it was a prominent in dog and horse. supra-trochlear foramen similar to findings in dog. The head was roughly rounded and the neck was well- defined. The lateral tuberosity was large and curved Acknowledgements over the bicipital groove. The medial tuberosity was The authors are grateful to the Ministry of much smaller and did not divide noticeably. These Environment of Forests (MoEF), New Delhi and findings are similar to ox, sheep and goat. The distal Jodhpur Zoo for providing facilities and support for extremity consisted of two condyles, two epicondyles carrying out research on the bones of blackbuck. The and two fossae. Medial condyle was larger compared to funding was provided by the Department of Science the lateral one, similar to most of the animals reviewed. and Technology, New Delhi, India as Ph.D. grant The medial epicondyle was larger than the lateral one (DST-INSPIRE Fellowship) to the first author. similar to finding of ox, sheep and goat but dissimilar in camel where the medial epicondyle was more

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