FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY AND FRACTAL DIMENSION OF THE SAGITTAL SUTURE ASINDICATORS OF INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN DAMA AND DORCAS GAZELLES

The effects of inbreeding on the developmental instability of skulls o f dorcas (Gazella dorcas) and darna (G. dama) gazelles were investigat ed. In total, 132 dorcas gazelle skulls and 74 dama gazelle skulls fro m the Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas in Almera, Spain, were mea sured. The fluctuating asymmetry of 9 meristic characters, consisting of the numbers of foramina on the two sides of the skull and mandible, was calculated. Although only the foramen infraorbitalis showed a sig nificant increase in asymmetry with inbreeding in dorcas gazelles, the sum of the foramina in 5 of the skull regions clearly indicates an in crease in asymmetry with inbreeding in both dorcas and dama gazelles. The fractal dimension of the sagittal suture was calculated by means o f the coastline method. A greater effect of inbreeding on the sagittal suture in dama than in dorcas gazelle was observed, in concordance wi th the more evident deleterious effects of inbreeding depression in da ma than in dorcas gazelles.