Some Aspects of the Gross Morphology of the Skull of Adult Nigerian Local Pig

Abstract

The skull is a distinct aspect of an animal’s anatomy, providing valuable information on the characteristics of individual bones. Its morphological trait has a considerable impact on the phenotype of an animal's head, being of great importance in the body’s overall anatomical framework. However, information on the morphological characteristics of the skull of the Nigerian local pig (NLP) appears to be unavailable. For this study, 24 adult NLP (12 males and 12 females) skulls were used to describe some aspect of the gross morphology. Adult NLP skulls had frontal, lateral, nuchal and basal surfaces. The dorsal surface had the supraorbital foramina, and grooves present, and was formed principally by the parietal, frontal, and nasal bones. The lateral surface was formed by the premaxilla and maxilla bones, a wide zygomatic arch, and an incomplete orbit. The nuchal surface was formed by the occipital bone, the foramen magnum, and the elongated paracondylar process, while the basal surface was formed by the hard palate. The mandible was the largest bone, with a body and two vertical rami. The ossified mandibular symphysis formed an immovable joint, while the mandibular rami were slightly concave, bearing multiple mental, and the mandibular foramina. This study showed that the morphology of the NLP skull is similar to other pig breeds, with slight variations. The information on the morphology of the NLP skull may be useful as taxonomic reference values, in clinical veterinary medicine, zooarcheology, and sexual dimorphism studies.