Abstract

OSBAHR, Karin; ACEVEDO, Pedro; VILLAMIZAR, Andrea  and  ESPINOSA, Daniela. COMPARISON OF THE FORE AND HINDLIMB STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF Cuniculus taczanowskii AND Dinomys branickii. rev.udcaactual.divulg.cient. [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.1, pp.37-50. ISSN 0123-4226.

The anatomical adaptations that allow animals to develop in a specific way in a certain environment reflect structural and physiological changes. Cuniculus taczanowskii and Dinomys branickii are simpatric species, so the question arose if possible differences and similarities in the appendicular skeleton explain their locomotive habits in the context of functional ecology. The analysis of the long bone measures of the appendicular skeleton show inter and intraspecific differences that allow to assume specific characteristics of D. branickii and C. taczanowskii during the locomotion and therefore during the patterns of habitat use. The morphologic indices corroborate the anatomical characteristics that explain the fossorial activities of C. taczanowskii and the slow walking cursorial adaptation of D. branickii.

Keywords : Mountain paca; Pacarana; appendicular skeleton; morphological index; bone scaling.

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