Animal Molecular Breeding 2016, Vol.6, No.2, 1-6
3
Figure 1 Image of occipital area in Nyctereutes .procyonoides .cancrivora showing morphologic variations in condylar construction
and dorsal notch in foramen magnum
3 Results
3.1 Functional morphology of the occipital bone
The occipital bone at the caudal and caudo-ventral part of the neuro-cranium is essentially, externally a joint
surface area with the axial skeleton (atlanto-occipital joint) and partake in modularity of other skull parts as well
for lodgments of
ligamentum nuchae
(
pars occipitalis
) on the
crista nuchae externii
dorsally,
cleido-occipitalis
sternocephalicus
laterally,
rectus capitis dorsalis
,
rectus capitis lateralis
,
obliquus capitis cranialis
ventro-laterally (Popesco, 1977),
occipito-mandibularis
on the paramastoid process closely related with the
supplying glossopharyngeal and hypoglossal motor nerves and the external carotid artery. The
digastricus
as well
as
occipito-hyoideus are
for manipulative movements of the lower jaw
(Sisson, 1975; ICVGAN, 1994) and
generating characteristic bite force used in prey summarization and post-mortem processing (Ellis et al.
,
2009).
Functional use of the head in this mesaticephalic skull for prehensile and masticatory activities varies with size
and shape of the bone, as well as muscle mass attached (Dyce
et al.
,
2002). The development of this structure is
influenced by ecology and diet components in various environments as suggested by (Baltrunaite, 2005, 2006;
Kauhala, 1998, Fernandes et al.
,
2008; Zevellof, 2002). In comparing skull dimensions in
N.p. viverrinus
and
N.p.
