Abstract
The jaw system in canids is essential for defence and prey acquisition. However, how it varies in wild species in comparison with domestic species remains poorly understood, yet is of interest to understand the impact of artificial selection. Here we explore the variability and interrelationships between the upper and lower jaws, muscle architecture, and bite force in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). We performed dissections and used 3D geometric morphometric approaches to quantify shape in 68 foxes. We used a static lever model and bite force estimates were compared with in vivo measurements of ten silver foxes. Our results show strong relationships exist between the cranium and mandible and the cranium or mandible on the one hand and muscles or estimated bite force on the other hand confirming the strong integration of the bony and muscular components of the jaw system. These strong relationships are strongly driven by size. The functional links between shape and estimated bite force are stronger for the mandible, which likely reflects its greater specialisation towards biting.We then compared our results with data previously obtained for dogs (Canis familiaris) to investigate the effect of domestication. Foxes and dogs differ in skull shape and muscle physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSA). They show a similar amount of morphological variation in muscle PCSA and mandible shape, but foxes show lower variation in cranial shape. Interestingly, the patterns of covariation are not stronger in foxes than in dogs, suggesting that domestication did not lead to a disruption of the functional links of the jaw system.
- Received March 2, 2020.
- Accepted January 28, 2021.
- © 2021. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 1 day for US$30.00 .
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.
Article navigation
Related articles
Cited by...
More in this TOC section
Similar articles
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Welcome to JEB’s new Editor Monica Daley
We are pleased to welcome Monica Daley to JEB’s Editorial team. Monica has had a long association with JEB before taking up her new role, overseeing peer review of neuromuscular physiology, terrestrial biomechanics and integrative physiology of locomotion.
In the field with Robyn Hetem
Continuing our fieldwork series, Robyn Hetem reflects on working with species ranging from aardvark to zebra, and the impact COVID-19 has had on fieldwork.
Read & Publish participation continues to grow
“It is particularly encouraging for early career researchers, as it allows them to display their research globally without the need to find costs to cover the open access option.”
Professor Fernando Montealegre-Z (University of Lincoln) shares his experience of publishing Open Access as part of our growing Read & Publish initiative. We now have over 150 institutions in 15 countries and four library consortia taking part – find out more and view our full list of participating institutions.
Nocturnal reef residents have deep-sea-like eyes
Fanny de Busserolles and colleagues from The University of Queensland have discovered that the eyes of nocturnal reef fish have multibank retinas, layers of photoreceptors, similar to the eyes of deep-sea fish that live in dim light conditions.
Mechanisms underlying gut microbiota–host interactions in insects
In their Review, Konstantin Schmidt and Philipp Engel summarise recent findings about the mechanisms involved in gut colonisation and the provisioning of beneficial effects in gut microbiota–insect symbiosis.