Sphenoid bone is more asymmetrical than palatine bone among small ruminants

A sample comprised by 53 dry modern skulls of adult small ruminants (sheep n = 36 and goat n = 17) from a comparative collection, absent of bony pathologies, was studied on their basal craniofacial aspect. A total of 26 points (2 sagittal landmarks and 24 semilandmarks) and 32 points (4 landmarks and 28 semilandmarks) were chosen on the sphenoid bone and palatine bone respectively and analysed by means of geometric morphometric techniques. The interaction of individuals and sides (fluctuating asymmetry) showed a highly significant difference for both bones, as well as side effect (directional asymmetry), being levels of detected fluctuating asymmetry higher in sphenoid (25.4%) than in palate (12.8%). Asymmetric component differentiated sheep and goats. Detected basicranial asymmetry can be viewed as a common finding among small ruminants