Bones of the skull in Nigerian goats

Shawulu et al.

Morphology of the Bones of the Skull in the Sahel

Ecotypes of Goats(Capra hircus)in Nigeria
Shawulu J. C.*1, Kwari H.D.2 and Olopade, J. O.3
1

Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.

Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
3
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
2

With 5 figures

Received March, accepted for publication June 2011

Abstract

seen in mental, infraorbital and supraorbital foramina in all ecotypes.

The occurrences of incisive-nasomaxillo-lacrimal relationship in the
all the ecotypes clearly differentiated this species from other small
ruminants.

The study was designed to investigate some morphological characteristics of the skull of the Ecotypes
of Sahel goats in Nigeria. The approach involved morphological description of all the bones in the
skull and observing the abnormalities among ecotypes. Morphologically, sexual dimorphism was evident in the frontal and occipital
bones with the females having
slightly straight frontal plain. The
longitudinal convexity of the frontal
bone in the male was accentuated
between the horns in all ecotypes
than the females making the former to posses more of the frontal
and cornual sinuses dorsal to the
cranium and the distance from the
muzzle to the occipital bone shorter. The Basic Brown ecotype skulls
had the highest evidences of dental abnormalities, most prominent
facial and mandibular tuberosities
and mandibular symphysealruggae. Accessory foramina were
J. Vet. Anat.

Keywords
Morphology, Skull, Mandible, Sahel
goat, Ecotypes.

Introduction
Skull typology involves the extensive morphological and osteometric
studies of skulls of animal species.
Work was done in relation to agein
goats (Borthakur, 1990; Borthakuret. al., 1998). Also works leading to the determination of skull
shape have been carried out (Onaret. al., 2001), aiding the estimation
of landmarks and metric values for
regional anaesthesia of the head
(Olopade and Onwuka, 2005a) and
for sexual dimorphism (de Paiva
and Segre, 2003) among others.

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Shawulu et al.

There is a relatively little information on the skull typology of the

Sahel ecotypes of goat despite the
fact that the Sahel goat is one of
the largest goat breed in Nigeria
(Gall, 1996).

seven different ecotypes were studied and compared using the information of May (1970); Dyce et.
al., (2002) and Olopade and Onwuka (2005a) as guide.

The aim of this work therefore is to

study the bones of the skulls and
mandible of the Sahel ecotypes of
goats in Nigeria.

Results and Discussion

Materials and Methods

The condyles, jugular processes

and the basi-occipital in all ecotypes resembled that of the ox as
reported by Sisson and Grossman
(1975). However, the muscular tubercles were situated more caudally and farther apart from the median plane as described by McFadyean (1953) in sheep. The external occipital protuberance was very
obvious in female ecotypes than
the male (fig. 2).

I. Cranial bones
Occipital bones

A total of 144 goat heads comprising of 24 Basic White, 20 each of

Basic Brown, Basic Black, Black
and White, Brown and White, Black
and Brown and Mixed colours of
the three, Sahel ecotypes were
used for this study.
The goats were obtained from
Maiduguri Abattoir and Environs in
the northeastern Nigeria. All the
goats were physically examined
and those found without apparent
osteological deformities were slaughtered at the atlanto-occipital joint
through decapitation and rapid
bleeding and the heads were frozen at 20oc. The heads were then
processed and skulls were prepared according to the hot water
maceration technique described by
Onar(1999), Olopadeet. al.,(2006).
The form (shape, size and position)
of the bones of the skulls of the
J. Vet. Anat.

Sphenoid bones
In the cranial cavity, the hypophyseal fossa (sellaturcica) of the
sphenoid bones was long and
deeply concave, unlike in the
sheep where the increased depth
of the hypophyseal fossa accommodates the relatively large hypophyseal gland (Sisson and Grossman, 1975).This could mean that
the hypophyseal gland in the Sahel
ecotypes is larger than in other
small ruminants such as the

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Shawulu et al.

from the occipital bone. This ridge

(external occipital protuberance) is
thicker and more developed in the
female than the male. This is probable that the ligament of the neck
(ligamentum nuchae) in the female
is robust or well developed than in
the male. The differences observed
in this study also agree with the
report of Knig and Liebich (2004)
which stated that skull bones of the
same breed could differ in morphology.

Sheep. The oval foramen was

formed completely by the sphenoid
bone similar to that reported in the
sheep by Sisson and Grossman
(1975), and slightly rostral in comparison to the position in the ox
(May, 1970).
Ethmoid bone
The crista galli of the ethmoid basically showed some size differences
between ecotypes being thick and
large in the Basic White ecotype,
but are relatively thin in the Black
and White ecotype. The elongated
cribriform plates in all ecotypes
were most likely a direct correlation
with the morphology and size of
the olfactory bulbs.

Frontal bones
Sexual dimorphism was prominent
in the concavity of the frontal bones.
These concur with the information
reported by Shawuluet. al.(2008a).
The accentuated longitudinal convexity of the frontal bones between
the horns in the male is probable
that it corresponds to the location of
the cranium (Cavumcranii) and frontal sinuses in the buck (fig 1). This
coupled with the fact that males
usually have stronger and larger
horns than females (Dyce et. al.,
2002) demand that careful consideration be given to frontal bone
morphology in captive-bolt stunning
of male goats (Sivachelvanet. al.,
1995). The ethmoid foramen was
completely formed by the frontal
bone within the orbit. The occurrence of accessory supraorbital foramina (fig 4) on the dorsofrontal
surface of the skull was observed in

Parietal bones
The prominence of the interparietal
suture in the Basic Black ecotypes
could be an indication that such
breed is prone to cranial fracture in
this region. The supramastoid foramen was a direct continuation of
the external mastoid foramen. This
opening was ventral to the internal
opening of the temporal meatus
(fig 1). This foramen could provide
direct access to the brain in experimental procedures for the delivery
of pharmacological substances. In
all the ecotypes studied, a median
ridge was observed to join the parietal bone at the transverse plane
J. Vet. Anat.

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Shawulu et al.

Temporal bones

over 40% of Black and the black

and White ecotype skulls, over 70%
of Basic White and Basic Brown
ecotypes. Such accessory foramina
were seen in the Asam goats (Borthakur, 1990), not reported in Kagani breeds (Sarma, 2006), depicting
variation within a specie. The accessory foramina open into large
foramen in most cases and in others into a blind end. The numerous
supraorbital and accessory foramina are indications of numerous
nerve exits that innervate this region
and the robust corneal processes in
these ecotypes. This is important in
regional anaesthesia and dehorning
procedures in these ecotypes. The
architecture, shapes and sizes of
the cornual processes generally revealed a breed polymorphism but
generally placed far apart in both
sexes and closest in the Basic
Brown ecotypes (figs 2 & 3). Clinically, considering the accentuated
frontal sinus in the males and the
architecture of the corneal processes, the captive-bolt stunning procedures in the goat could be done in
between the horns at the back of
the head at the position of the interparietal and parietal bones unlike
that of the cow and pig where it is
done on the frontal bone between
the eyes (Dyce et. al., 2002).

J. Vet. Anat.

The squamous part of the temporal

bone extended less rostral than
that of the sheep (Sisson and
Grossman, 1975). The retroarticular foramina in all ecotypes were
closer to the external acoustic
meatus as reported in the Ox (Sisson and Grossman, 1975). The
perforation seen in the axis of the
ventral end, the zygomatic process
of the temporal bone, and the
squamous part of temporal bone
concur with that found in the ox
(Sisson and Grossman, 1975) and
in sheep (Popesco, 1975). The
petrous part of the temporal bone
was relatively small in all ecotypes
studied and was completely within
the cerebral cavity similar to the
sheep as reported by Sisson and
Grossman, (1975). The tympanic
bulla was compressed with blunt
edges seen ventral to the squamous part and rostral to the large
jugular processes of the occipital
bone as reported by Sisson and
Grossman (1975) in the sheep.
The muscular processes are very
small and almost absent in all the
ecotypes. This is unlike to the report of Kahn and Line (2000) in the
sheep and goat.

II.Facial bones

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Maxillae

tooth is crucial in the regional

anaesthesia during dental extraction
(Hall et. al., 2000). Cranial and dorsal to the opening of the infraorbitalforamen is the presence of minute
bony perforations. These features
were reported in the sheep (May,
1970) and in Kagani goats (Sarma,
2006). The maxillae had short communications with the nasal bones,
the incisive, and the lacrimal bones.
The premaxillae unit medially forming the palatine fissure similar to
that described in the ox and sheep
by Sisson and Grossman (1975).
The pterygopalatine fossa was
seen, formed by the pterygoid, perpendicular part of the palatine
bones and the maxillae in all the
ecotypes studied. This concurs with
the report of May (1970) in sheep.

The maxillary bones were less convex than described in the Ox while
the facial tuberosity is more prominent than that of the sheep and
placed dorsal to a point between the
third to fourth cheek tooth as similar
to that of the ox (Sisson and
Grossman, 1975) while that of the
Basic Brown and Basic Black ecotypes of goats were situated dorsal
to the fourth to fifth check tooth as
seen in the sheep. The facial tuberosity was more prominent in the
Basic Brown and less in the Basic
White goats. This could probably be
as a result of greater grinding force
exerted by the cheek teeth in response to chewing of tougher
roughages, or due to the presence
of dental abnormalities in the skulls
studied. The infraorbital foramen
was generally placed between first
and second premolars. However
like in the sheep, it was vertical to
the second premolar in the Basic
Brown and the Basic Black ecotypes of goats. The occurrence of
accessory infraorbital foramina had
been reported in man (Cananet. al.,
1999; Elias et. al., 2004). The foramina seen in this study were single
in most cases. In case of double
foramina, a tiny plate is found dividing the foramen into two, similar to
that reported in man (Elias et. al.,
2004). The position of the infraorbital foramen, relative to the premolar
J. Vet. Anat.

Incisive bones
The incisive bones made contact
caudodorsally with the nasal bones
(fig. 4). The nasal opening was constricted in the Basic White and the
White and Brown ecotypes with the
palatine processes unified caudally
and with the premaxillae in these
ecotypes. This arrangement may
confer a mechanical strength to the
dental pad of the Basic White goats
which may aid prehensile ability and
prevent injuries to the rostral part of
the face and hard palate.

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Nasal bones

the naso-lacrimal duct in the goat

was also smaller than in sheep as
reported by May (1970). The lacrimal bone in all ecotypes
presents weak naso-lacrimal junction and fossae, limiting the margin
of the orbital circumference; the
external lacrimal fossa (fig. 3).

The nasal bones were not separable from the incisive bone thus laterally, the nasal bone communicates with the incisive, maxillary
and lacrimal bones. However except in the Basic White ecotypes,
this communications were accompanied by a firm union. The Basic
Brown ecotype had in addition bilateral openings on the dorsal surface
inward (fig. 4). These openings
were observed by Olopadeet. al.,
(2006). The nasal bone ends into
blunt edge prongs rostrally (fig.4)
and concurs with the ox reported by
Sisson and Grossman (1975). The
Basic Brown, Basic Black, Black
and White ecotypes (fig. 3), may
thus be more prone to cranial fractures in this region than the Basic
White ecotypes.

Zygomatic bones
There was no ecotypic difference
observed in the lacrimo-zygomatic
junction (fig 3). However, a sharp
demarcation between the bones
was more obvious in the Basic
Brown, White and Brown and the
Black and Brown ecotypes forming
the zygomatic arch of the orbit.
This is similar to the ox reported by
Sisson and Grossman (1975).
Sphenoid bones
The hypophyseal fossa (sellatucica) of the sphenoid bones was
long and deep in concavity; unlike
in the sheep where the increased
depth of the hypophyseal fossa
accommodates the relatively large
hypophyseal gland (Sisson and
Grossman, 1975).This could mean
that the hypophyseal gland in the
Sahel ecotypes is larger than in
other small ruminants such as the
sheep. The oval foramen was
formed completely by the sphenoid
bone similar to that reported in the
sheep by Sisson and Grossman
(1975).

Nasal conchae
Three separate nasal conchae were
observed with no sex orecotypic
differences in these bones. These
conchae were seen like shelves
with spaces between them. These
concur with that of the ox reported
by Sisson and Grossman (1975).
Lacrimal bones
The lacrimal bulla was not extensive but compressed as that reported in sheep by Sisson and
Grossman, (1975).The opening of
J. Vet. Anat.

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Ethmoid bone

phology of the tensor veli palatini

muscle which inserts on this structure in all the ecotypes of goats.
The function of this muscle is to
flatten a part of the soft palate (in
live animal) and to enable the
opening of the auditory tubes reported by Himmelreich, (1964).

The crista galli of the ethmoid basically showed some size differences
between ecotypes being thick and
large in the Basic White ecotype,
but are relatively thin in the Black
and White ecotype. The elongated
cribriform plates in all ecotypes
were most likely a direct correlation
with the morphology and size of the
olfactory bulbs. This is in agreement
with the findings of Reece (2005),
which stated that the size of the olfactory region is directly related to
the degree of development of the
sense of smell which varies among
species. It is probable also that the
larger olfactory region allows for the
degree of the detection of odorous
substances reported in dogs by
Reece, (2005).

Vomer bones
The vomer bone was observed in
all ecotypes to be a single median
bone having double and thin dorsal
margins for the articulation with the
nasal septum, similar to those
found in the ox reported by Sisson
and Grossman, (1975).
Mandible
The double opening of the mental
foramen seen above the alveolar
spaces of some specimens may
suggest the occurrence of accessory mental nerve from the smaller
foramen. These occurrences are of
great importance since accessory
foramina in the mandible have been
known to transmit nerve branches
supplying the roots of the teeth. Local nerve block techniques might fail
if any of these nerves or their branches pass through these foramina
and escape nerve block. The sources of these foramina might also be
an alternate route for tumor spread
(Das and Suri, 2004). Lieberman
and Crompton (2000) reported that
animals that have un-fused man-

Palatine bones
A set of foramina was seen on the
horizontal plate of the maxillapalatine junction. This feature was
also reported in the Kagani goats
(Sarma, 2006). Majority of these
foramina were seen as large foramina on the palatine bone (fig. 4).
Pterygoid bones
The hamulus of the pterygoid bone
was sharp and distinct in all the
ecotypes examined. This may
present a similar positional morJ. Vet. Anat.

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al.,(2010). Due to prominent facial

and mandibular tuberosities, prominent symphyseal ruggae of the
mandible and Cranial sinuses might
be prone to fracture easily.

dibles, like the goat, does not only

have a ratio of working to balancing
side adductor muscle force of 1:1
and that they have mandibles that
rotate independently during occlusion and have a vertical tooth
movements during power stroke of
mastication. Such independent rotatory movement is expected to be
pronounced in the goats where the
two halves of the mandibles do not
fuse completely at the symphysis in
both young and old animals. The
presence of an extremely rough
symphyseal surface (fig 6) and
marked reciprocal projections (ruggae) and cavities in the Basic
Brown ecotypes compared to the
Basic Black and Basic White ecotypes of goats could be an adaptational feature that hold the symphyseal joint in the former which is not
only loosed but subjected to pronounced
independent
rotatory
movements than the ecotypes and
breeds. Prominent tuberosities were
observed at the caudo-ventral portions of the lateral surfaces of the
mandibles in Basic Brown ecotypes
of goats and less so in the White
and the White and Brown goats.

References
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In conclusion, the Basic Brown Sahel ecotype of goat was believed to

have evolved from the red Sokoto
breed reported by Shawulu et. al.,
2008a and therefore had similar
trend in skull strength and abnormalities reported by Olopade et.
J. Vet. Anat.

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Kahn, M. C. and Line S. (2000):

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U., Shawulu, J. C. and Balogun, B. A. (2006): Bilateral
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Shawulu, J. C., Kwari, H. D. and

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Corresponding author:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +2347063345777

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Fig (1): Skull of the Sahel ecotypes goat (Lateral view) showing the well developed and
pointed pterygoid hamulus (A), ethmoid foramen (E) and the cerebral opening of the
temporal meatus (C).

Fig (2):Skull of female Sahel ecotypes of goat (Dorsocaudal view) showing the degree of cornual divergence and the thick median ridge (R) and the transverse parietal sutures (P).

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Fig (3):Skull of female Sahel ecotypes goat (Dorsolateral view) showing a lacrimal fossa (F), weak lacrimo-nasal suture (L), lacrimo-zygomatic suture (Lz) and the limitation
of the orbital circumference (O).

Fig (4):Skull of the Sahel ecotypes of goat (Dorsal view) with multiple Supraorbital foramina (S), Bilateral openings (B), palatine fissures (T), incisive bone (I) and lacrimofrontal suture (L).

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Fig (5):Mandible of the Sahel ecotypes of goat (medial view) showing abnormal and
loosed mandibular symphisis (arrow).

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