Morphometrical features of the head skeleton in brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Bulgaria

B. Bivolarski, K. Stamatova-Yiovcheva, E. Raichev, R. Mihaylov, D. Zlatanova, D. Kostov, R. Dimitrov

Abstract: Fifteen craniometrical indices of the head skeletons in forty brown bears (Ursus arctos) found in Bulgaria were studied. Data for the greatest length of the head skeleton and condylobasal length as well as the results of those motivated us to propose that the greatest length of the head skeleton in Bulgarian population of brown bears is from 280 mm to 350 mm, and the condylobasal length is from 276 mm to 304mm. Our results for length skull (cranium) and face showеd that face length were 35.33% of head skeleton length. The length, rostral and caudal width of the bone palate demonstrated that the palate widened in caudal direction. The basal length of the skull was with close value to bone palate length and it could be accepted that the caudal edge of the bone palate was approximately in the middle of the ventral surface of head skeleton. The zygomatic width of the specimens was 59% from the greatest length of the head skeleton.

Keywords: brown bear; craniology; craniometry; osteology

Date published: 2019-03-25