A study of growth gradients of the limbs and axial skeleton was carried out in cattle, sheep and pigs, with the aid of gross anatomical dissection. The comparative study is discussed relative to each individual species and to interspecies differences.
IntroductionA concept of postnatal growth gradients in bones was suggested by MCMEEKAN (1943) and PALSSON (1955). They described an axial craniocaudal gradient of increasing growth, and a distoproximal gradient of increasing growth in the limbs. Nevertheless, to date there are no reports available on the growth patterns of a topographical series of bone weights in the axial skeleton or in the limbs, covering the entire postnatal growth of any species.This paper reports an allometric analysis of bone growth within single breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs. By comparing growth patterns between these species, any patterns common to quadrupeds should become apparent. These species have also provided material to examine the effect of sex in a species and breed in which sex differences in external appearance are particularly evident (Jersey cattle), the effect of breed in a species for which two breeds differing markedly in mature body size, fat deposition and body shape were available (German Landrace and Gottingen Miniature pigs), and the effect of stage of growth in a species for which fetuses are a suitable size, and are readily available, for dissection (sheep).Results for some of the pigs have been previously published (DAVIES, 1979). Results for the growth of cattle formed part of one of the authors's PhD thesis (TAN, 1981). The results for all the material used have been briefly reported in a previous communication (DAVIES, 1980).
Material and MethodsA total of 33 Jersey cattle, 38 Romney sheep and 61 pigs were dissected for this study (Tables 1 and 2). A half carcass of each animal was separated into component muscles, bones and fat depots. The methods have already been described by TAN (1981) for cattle, by BROAD/DAVIES (1980) for sheep, and by DAVIES/&LLWEIT (1979) for pigs. The carcasses were divided in the median plane in such a way as to leave the vertebral column intact and attached to the dissected side. The bones were cleaned of attached muscles, tendons and ligaments, leaving cartilagenous, periosteal and medullary tissues. Half U. S.