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Intraspecific scaling of chewing cycle duration in three species of domestic ungulates.
Abstract: In mammals, chewing cycle duration (CCD) increases with various measures of size, scaling with body mass(0.13-0.28) and jaw length(0.55). Proposed explanations for these scaling relationships include the allometry of body size, basal metabolic rate and tooth size, on the one hand, and pendular mechanics treating the jaw as a gravity-driven pendulum, on the other. Little is known, however, about the relationship between CCD and size within species. Recent research in dogs demonstrates altogether different scaling exponents and weaker correlations. This research suggests that breed-specific growth rates influence the maturation of the neural networks generating chewing rhythm, which may be altered because of changes in jaw mass during early postnatal growth. Here, we explored the intraspecific scaling of CCD within a sample of adult horses ranging from miniatures to draft breeds and an ontogenetic sample of goats and alpacas from infants to adults. In horses, CCD scales with body mass(0.19) and jaw length(0.57), although in neither case is the correlation significant. In the ontogenetic samples of goats and alpacas, CCD is significantly correlated with body mass, scaling as CCD∝body mass(0.37) in both species. In goats, but not alpacas, CCD is also significantly correlated with jaw length, scaling as jaw length(1.032). As in dogs, the scaling of CCD in horses may reflect the influence of selective breeding on growth trajectories of different breeds, resulting in reduced body and jaw size differences among infants, when CCD is established, compared with adults. However, the allometric scaling of tooth size in horses of different breeds may be a potential influence on the scaling of CCD. The scaling of CCD with body and jaw size in goats, and to a lesser extent in alpacas, also suggests that the development of peripheral masticatory structures such as the teeth and occlusal relations may play a role in changes in CCD during the earliest stages of postnatal ontogeny.
Publication Date: 2010-12-15 PubMed ID: 21147974DOI: 10.1242/jeb.043646Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
Summary
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This research examined how chewing cycle duration (how long it takes an animal to complete one cycle of chewing) scales with body mass and jaw length, specifically within horse, goat, and alpaca species. Findings suggest that in these species, the duration of the chewing cycle was more closely related to body mass rather than the length of the jaw, indicating that factors such as growth rates, selective breeding, and the development of the masticatory system may play a significant role.
Research Scope and Methodology
- This study aimed to understand the relationship between chewing cycle duration (CCD) and size within species. The researchers have previously noted that CCD tends to increase with size in mammals, but recent studies have shown different results within dog breeds.
- The researchers decided to study this phenomenon within three species of domestic ungulates (hoofed animals): horses (from miniatures to draft breeds), goats, and alpacas. They investigated whether the chewing timing in these species correlated more accurately with the mass of the body or the length of the jaw.
Findings and Conclusions
- In horses, CCD scaled with both body mass and jaw length, but the correlation was not significant in either case, possibly due to the influence of selective breeding on growth trajectories. With different breeds having varying growth rates, the established CCD in infancy might not correspond to the adult body and jaw sizes. Furthermore, the researchers suggested that the allometric scaling of tooth size in different horse breeds might affect the CCD.
- In goats and alpacas, body mass was significantly correlated with CCD in their early growth stages, suggesting the potential influence of the development of peripheral masticatory structures, such as teeth and occlusal relations, on changes in chewing rhythm.
- In goats, CCD was also significantly correlated with jaw length, but this was not the case for alpacas. This could suggest broader physiological differences between the two species.
- The research highlights the potential influence of both genetics (through selective breeding) and physical development (of the masticatory system) on chewing rhythm.
- These results imply that factors such as growth rates, selective breeding, and the development of the masticatory system may play a significant role in determining the chewing cycle duration in different species.
Cite This Article
APA
Stover KK, Williams SH.
(2010).
Intraspecific scaling of chewing cycle duration in three species of domestic ungulates.
J Exp Biol, 214(Pt 1), 104-112.
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.043646 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic / physiology
- Body Size / physiology
- Camelids, New World / physiology
- Goats / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Jaw / anatomy & histology
- Jaw / physiology
- Mastication / physiology
- Regression Analysis
- Species Specificity
- Time Factors
- Tooth / anatomy & histology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Konow N, Herrel A, Ross CF, Williams SH, German RZ, Sanford CP, Gintof C. Evolution of muscle activity patterns driving motions of the jaw and hyoid during chewing in Gnathostomes. Integr Comp Biol 2011 Aug;51(2):235-46.
- Bordin C, Raspa F, Greppi M, Harris P, Ellis AD, Roggero A, Palestrini C, Cavallini D, Bergero D, Valle E. Pony feeding management: the role of morphology and hay feeding methods on intake rate, ingestive behaviors and mouth shaping. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1332207.
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