Comparing Cats: A Discussion of Similarities & Differences

[peter]

(12-06-2018, 11:14 PM)Pckts Wrote:

(12-06-2018, 11:01 PM)peter Wrote:

(12-06-2018, 09:42 PM)Pckts Wrote: @peter  I'm not sure if you've seen this study or not but it's right in your wheelhouse. 
Take a look...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3981823/

Read that one some years ago. Scientific confirmation of what I saw when I measured skulls.

Any specific question?

None, I just know your interest in Captive v Wild Skull differences.

Appreciated.

Skulls of captive big cats often are different from skulls of their wild relatives. Skulls of wild big cats nearly always are smooth, elevated, dense and muscular. Skulls of captive big cats are relatively wider, less dense and not as elevated and muscular. Not seldom, they're asymmetrical as well. In the teeth department, the differences are even more outspoken.

For some reason, skulls of captive lions quite often show superfluous growths. Growths at vital places often have an effect. As large skulls are more affected than others, it's likely that males in particular suffer. 

Not a few think bone abnormalities (in the skull) could be a result of a lack of Vitamin A, but it also seems to be species-related. Tigers, jaguars and leopards are hardly, if at all, affected. Apart from asymmetry, a lack of density and more width, I didn't see abnormalities. Not to the extent seen in captive lions, that is.

More research is needed, as quite many captive male lions perish well before their time. Reply