Sex differences in pelvic and sacral size in wildcat from the Western Carpathians

Abstract

Sexual differences in the wildcat were evaluated on 15 variables in 49 pelvic and 38 sacral bones in wildcat from the Western Carpathians. Our data confirmed a male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in the pelvic and sacral bones. The effect size was very large for two pelvic (SB, smallest width of the shaft of the ilium; and LAR, length of the acetabulum) and two sacral traits (GB, greatest width across the wings; and BFcr, greatest width of the cranial articular surface). Our different allometric patterns in pelvic and sacral measures in both sexes may also be important in mode of locomotion. These findings highlight the need for morphometric analysis of species at the regional as well global level.