Examination of Mandible in Morkaraman Sheep Using Geometric Morphometry Method

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine and analyze the mandible of Morkaraman sheep without any skeletal disorders using the geometric morphometric method. For this purpose, a total of 14 mandibles from male and female individuals were used in the study. The main components in multidimensional data sets were determined with Principal Component Analysis, used within the scope of the geometric morphometry method, and the differences between the samples were determined with Discriminant Function Analysis. Statistical and formal analyzes of these variances were also performed. A total of 12 principal components were obtained with 12 punctuations selected on a total of 14 mandibular (7 female, 7 male) images. Among these principal components, the first principal component (PC1) alone accounted for 30.409% of the total variation. The second principal component (PC2) alone accounted for 22.265% of the total variation, and the third principal component (PC3) alone accounted for 14.893% of the total variation. The first three of the variances obtained explained 67,567 of the shape differences. Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) was used to objectively evaluate gender differences. In the discriminant function analysis, the p value was above 0.05 (p = 0.7). Although there was a complete separation between genders formally and statistically, no significant p value was obtained. In line with these analyses, information was obtained about the anatomical features and adaptations of the Morkaraman sheep mandible, which is one of the important economic resources of our country and is bred in a wide area, and it has become an exemplary study in this field.