Allometric growth patterns of limb bones in rabbits

Abstract

ABSTRACTRelative growth of length and thickness of femur, tibia, humerus and radius-ulna was studied using data from 320 rabbits from both sexes of two lines (New Zealand White and California). A cross-sectional design was used with slaughter points fixed at weekly intervals from 1 to 20 weeks of age. Carcass length was chosen as independent variable and two models were fitted to the data. Model 1 assumed the existence of one allometric change at some moment of the post-natal development and model 2 of a continuous change of the allometric coefficient throughout the experimental period.Most of the bone measurement showed allometric changes and in all the cases they were not abrupt but continuous. The theoretical and practical implications of the existence of these changes are discussed. The allometric coefficients of all the bone measurements showed a decreasing rate of change except radius-ulna thickness. While the coefficients for bone lengths were positive tending to isometry, for bone thickness they were always negative.