R. Garciaperea, PATTERNS OF POSTNATAL-DEVELOPMENT IN SKULLS OF LYNXES, GENUS LYNX (MAMMALIA, CARNIVORA), Journal of morphology, 229(3), 1996, pp. 241-254
Studies on ossification patterns and other ontogenetic events associat
ed with postnatal cranial growth of wild felids are scarce. An analysi
s of developmental processes undergone by several cranial structures (
presphenoidal and sphenooccipital synchondroses, temporal and sagittal
crests, and deciduous and permanent teeth) during postnatal growth ha
s been conducted on a sample of 336 specimens belonging to the four Re
cent species of lynxes (Lynx pardinus, Lynx lynx, Lynx rufus, and Lynx
canadensis). Age has been estimated based on tooth replacement, skull
size, and by counting the annual lines of cementum growth. Comparison
of the results obtained for each of the four species reveal (1) a sin
gle pattern for both tooth replacement and ossification of the sphenoo
ccipital synchondrosis, (2) two ossification patterns for the presphen
oidal synchondrosis, (3) a common pattern for development of temporal
ridges and sagittal crest showing different degrees of morphological e
xpression, and (4) evidence suggesting the involvement of a heterochro
nic process, neoteny, in the morphological differentiation of several
populations and species of the genus Lynx. These data also support the
hypothesis that processes involved in the replacement of carnassials
are based on functional requirements. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.