Cranial Osteology of the Armadillo Chaetophractus villosus (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Dasypodidae)

SQUARCIA, S; N SIDORKEWICJ; CASANAVE E.B.

Internat. Journal of Morphology

Universidad de La Frontera

Lugar: Temuco; Año: 2006 vol. 24 p. 541 - 547

0717-9367

SUMMARY: The morphology and morphometry of the cranial bones of Chaetophractus villosus were studied. The skull components are morphologically similar between adults of both sexes, and follow the generalized pattern for most of described dasypodids. The morphometric analysis, however, demonstrated that the bones lying in the rostrocaudal plane are mostly longest in females, determining higher values of the total, basal and condilobasal lengths of the skull, which are the main variables that contribute to a sexual dimorphism in this species.