Geometric morphometrics of the skull of two African rodents, Thryonomys swinderianus and Cricetomys gambianus

Abstract

Greater cane (Thryonomys swinderianus) and African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) have sympatric ecological relations and identical body conformation characteristic, and inhabit similar ecological biome and sometimes synergize seasonal activities across species. The introduction of new variants due to genetic biodiversities and migrations as well as age related skull ambiguities has necessitated a survey of craniometrical data. For a geometric morphometric comparison, ten dorsal, ten lateral and fifteen ventral skull landmarks points landmarks were used. The study concluded that species with low leverage, long skulls and low mandible moment points utilize animal resources in diet and postulates utility of assessed parameters are important for home range exploration and diet partitioning, new colonization process, communication, tracking, trafficking, defense and sexuality signals; it also suggests the observed plasticity may be due to newer variants or an index of fauna quality, such data will be useful in solving phylogenetic difficulties, wildlife surveillance in age-population control, ration formulation in captive species, and eco-migration.