मॉर्फोलॉजी और एनाटॉमी जर्नल

Random deviations from the perfect symmetry of normally bilaterally symmetrical characters for an individual with a given genotype occur during individual development due to the influence of multiple environmental factors. Directional asymmetry (DA) indicates that one side is consistently and significantly different than the other. DA is a characteristic of most vertebrates, most strikingly exhibited by the placement of various organs (heart, lungs, liver, etc.) but also noted in small differences in skeletal structures.

In the research presented here, we study the presence and level of skull DA in a sample of domestic sheep. For this purpose, a global sample of 40 skulls belonging to adult animals was studied by means of geometric morphometric methods.

The results of this study raise future questions about the influence of skull biomechanics on its asymmetrical development, but also about how management, ingesta-specific properties (such as abrasiveness) and domestication can influence this response.