Comparative bone histology of adult horses (Equus caballus) and cows (Bos taurus).
Abstract: Bone microstructure of domestic herbivores is still not completely understood. Indeed, works focused on the bone histology of numerous Mammalian species frequently led to misunderstandings because of the high number of variations such as the kind of bone, section orientation, species, breed and age. Moreover, attempts to identify the species in archaeozoological studies by a mere qualitative approach have not been encouraging and in recent years quantitative methods, based on image processing and statistical analysis, have appeared. The present study was undertaken to determine whether morphometrical and morphological differences exist in the compact bone structure of the femur and humerus between horses and cows. Measurements such as area, perimeter, minimum and maximum diameter of osteons and Haversian canals as well as the osteonal density were carried out on cross sections of eight humeri and eight femurs of the two herbivores investigated. In agreement with other authors, the qualitative investigation confirmed that the compact bone of horses and cows can be classified as dense Haversian tissue. Osteons of the horse were more numerous and composed of a higher number of well-defined lamellae when compared with the cow. Diameter, perimeter and area of osteons and Haversian canals were always higher in horses than in cows and this pattern could be related to the different locomotor behaviour of these animals.
Publication Date: 2008-07-30 PubMed ID: 18671686DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2008.00878.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article explores the differences in bone microstructure between the domestic horse (Equus caballus) and cow (Bos taurus), specifically analyzing the compact bone structure of their femurs and humerus.
Background of the Research
- Previous studies on bone histology of various mammalian species have led to confusion due to a variety of factors like bone type, species, breed, age, and section orientation.
- Identification of species in archaeozoological studies has historically been challenging, with qualitative methods yielding subpar results.
- As such, researchers are beginning to employ quantitative methods that involve image processing and statistical analysis.
Objective and Methods
- The aim of the research was to identify any morphological and morphometrical differences in the compact bone structure of the femurs and humerus in horses and cows.
- To accomplish this, researchers took measurements (including area, perimeter, minimum and maximum diameter) of osteons and Haversian canals.
- The analysis was based on the cross sections of eight femurs and eight humeri from both the horse and the cow.
Findings and Conclusion
- The qualitative analysis confirmed an established fact: the compact bone of both horses and cows can be classified as dense Haversian tissue.
- However, the study revealed that the osteons in horse bones were both more numerous and comprised of a higher number of defined lamellae, when compared to cow bones.
- It was also found that the diameter, perimeter, and area of these osteons and associated Haversian canals were consistently larger in horses than in cows.
- The researchers suggest that these differences may be attributed to the differing locomotor behavior between the two species.
Cite This Article
APA
Zedda M, Lepore G, Manca P, Chisu V, Farina V.
(2008).
Comparative bone histology of adult horses (Equus caballus) and cows (Bos taurus).
Anat Histol Embryol, 37(6), 442-445.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0264.2008.00878.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Sassari, via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy. mzedda@uniss.it
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle / anatomy & histology
- Femur / anatomy & histology
- Femur / cytology
- Femur / ultrastructure
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Humerus / anatomy & histology
- Humerus / cytology
- Humerus / ultrastructure
- Locomotion / physiology
- Species Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Tomassini RL, Pesquero MD, Garrone MC, Marin-Monfort MD, Cerda IA, Prado JL, Montalvo CI, Fernández-Jalvo Y, Alberdi MT. First osteohistological and histotaphonomic approach of Equus occidentalis Leidy, 1865 (Mammalia, Equidae) from the late Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea (California, USA). PLoS One 2021;16(12):e0261915.
- Palombo MR, Zedda M. The intriguing giant deer from the Bate cave (Crete): could paleohistological evidence question its taxonomy and nomenclature?. Integr Zool 2022 Jan;17(1):54-77.
- Felder AA, Phillips C, Cornish H, Cooke M, Hutchinson JR, Doube M. Secondary osteons scale allometrically in mammalian humerus and femur. R Soc Open Sci 2017 Nov;4(11):170431.
- Sabet FA, Raeisi Najafi A, Hamed E, Jasiuk I. Modelling of bone fracture and strength at different length scales: a review. Interface Focus 2016 Feb 6;6(1):20150055.
- Lavrador C, Mascarenhas R, Coelho P, Brites C, Pereira A, Gogolewski S. Elastomeric enriched biodegradable polyurethane sponges for critical bone defects: a successful case study reducing donor site morbidity. J Mater Sci Mater Med 2016 Mar;27(3):61.
- Kolb C, Scheyer TM, Veitschegger K, Forasiepi AM, Amson E, Van der Geer AA, Van den Hoek Ostende LW, Hayashi S, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Mammalian bone palaeohistology: a survey and new data with emphasis on island forms. PeerJ 2015;3:e1358.
- Brits D, Steyn M, L'Abbé EN. A histomorphological analysis of human and non-human femora. Int J Legal Med 2014 Mar;128(2):369-77.
- Izu Y, Ishikawa H, Soeta S. Developmental process and homeostasis of whale long bones lacking medullary cavity using the radius of Antarctic minke whales, Balaenoptera bonaerensis. J Vet Med Sci 2025 Apr 1;87(4):336-348.
- Elnunu IS, Redmond JN, Obata Y, Woolley W, Kammer DS, Acevedo C. Increased AGE Cross-Linking Reduces the Mechanical Properties of Osteons. JOM (1989) 2024;76(10):5692-5702.
- Cerda IA, Novas FE, Carballido JL, Salgado L. Osteohistology of the hyperelongate hemispinous processes of Amargasaurus cazaui (Dinosauria: Sauropoda): Implications for soft tissue reconstruction and functional significance. J Anat 2022 Jun;240(6):1005-1019.
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