Morphological features of the axial skeleton to badger (Meles Meles)

Abstract

Studies on the axial skeleton in badger reveal the specific morphological features such as: the tlas looks like the same in carnivores having the alar hole united with its vertebrae hole through a duct alar and the transverse hole is oppened on the caudal edge of wings. The cranial articular surfaces are concave dorso-ventrally spaced between them allowing the flexion and extension. The odontoid process looks cylindrical having the cranial jointing surfaces slightly convex which continue the articular surface which are present on the ventral side of the odontoid process. The cervical vertebrae are large with the wide interarcuale spaces like in pigs, something that allows hyperextension of the neck and with the lamellar aspect of the transverse processes. The thoracic vertebra present the costotransversale processes detached from the vertebral body, with slightly concave surfaces costotransversale joint at the first half of vertebrae and flat to the last half. Mamilo-articular processes exceed the half of the spinous processes height and the jointing surface being slightly concave. The sacrum shows the median sacral crest with three spaced spine with cranio-caudal decrease, flanked by the symmetrical suprasacrale spine which has two holes that open both dorsally and ventrally. Examining the aspects of the axial skeleton is remarkable the morphological similarity of these structures with those of pigs and canids.