MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE FORAMEN MAGNUM OF BYZANTINE DOGS EXCAVATED IN ISTANBUL YENIKAPI AT THE SITE OF THEODOSIUS HARBOUR

Authors

  • V. Onar Osteoarchaeology Laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • N. Gezer Ince Osteoarchaeology Laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Gezer Ince Osteoarchaeology Laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • H. Alpak Osteoarchaeology Laboratory of the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • M. Janeczek Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
  • Z. Kızıltan Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Gülhane, Istanbul, Turkey

Keywords:

foramen magnum, Byzantine dogs, Theodosius harbour, Yenikapı-Istanbul

Abstract

This study presents the results of morphometric analysis of a total of 473 skulls ascribed to adult animals were sufficiently complete to allow the measurement of their foramen magnum; and for 472 of them the foramen magnum index could be calculated. The dorsal notch was only seen in the group of mesocephalic dogs where about 17% of all skulls exhibited this feature. The average length of the dorsal notch was found to be 2.59 mm. Not a single skull in the dolichocephalic dog group showed any sign of a dorsal notch. The results of this study show that the dorsal notch in the foramen magnum widely seen dogs of the Middle Ages, and point to a morphological variation.

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Published

2023-07-27

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2013)

Section

Articles