Revision of Rupicapra Genus. II. A skull and horn statistical comparison of Rupicapra rupicapra ornata and R. rupicapra pyrenaica chamois

Abstract

A statistical evaluation of skull and horn measurements comparing sexually mature male Abruzzo and Pyrenean chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra ornata and R. rupicapra pyrenaica, has shown that these taxa differ significantly in the length of the frontomaxillary fontanelle, the frontal length of the horns, their height and anteroposterior and transverse basal diameters. In particular, the fontanelle length discriminates the two taxa very clearly. Thus, the sub-specific separation of ornata from pyrenaica appears to be fully justified morphometrically, in spite of their close general resemblance.