| description: |
The aim of the study is to work out such criteria for the evaluation of the exterior of the cow , the preference of which will develop a pelvis that is more suitable for delivery and for the attachment of the suspensory apparatus of the udder. The study will etsablish breed-anatomical differences between the pelvises of EHF, EN, and Highland cattle. Also, changes in the pelvic symphyses of pregnant heifers and cows during pregnancy and delivery will be dealt with. We will establish the structure of the interischial bone in bulls and male elks and the attached structures. The research team will study animal-specific age-related differences in the pelvises of the the bovine animal, sheep, elk, and roe deer (pelvic apertures, direction of ossification of the symphysis, ossification of the acetabulum and the sacrum). The study will specify which developmental changes have taken place in the pelvic structure of the bovine animal. The research methods include preparation, pelvimetry, photography, sectioning, histological study, X-ray imaging, biological maceration, and statistical analysis. The study will show which selection criteria allow to breed the cow with a pelvis that is more suitable for calving and better attachment of the udder. Comparative anatomical study of domestic and game ruminants will specify data about their pelvic structure and provide a better understanding of the changes that have taken place in the course of domestication. The research findings can be partly applied to practical animal husbandry. Because the study of developmental changes is based on material obtained during archaeological excavations, the study has also some significance for cultural history - it helps to specify historical data about Estonian food. |