Lutsenko P. Biomorphology of the Skull of the Members of Canidae Family

In the dissertation on the basis of extensive comparative craniometric studies of the skull of the members of Canidae family it is established that the studied species and breeds of dogs are characterized by different biomorphological adaptations due to adjustment to a certain method of obtaining food, and, in domestic dogs, are the result of artificial selection. According to the shape of the skull dogs are divided into three types: mesocephalic, which are closer to the ancestral forms, as well as dolichocephalic (long-nosed) and brachycephalic (short-nosed), which arose as a result of artificial selection. But it should be noted that the skull of all studied representatives is divided into massive, relatively massive and non-massive. The type of head, namely the structure of the facial skull, also leaves its imprint on the shape and degree of development of the cranial cavity and frontal sinuses. In addition, along with craniometric studies of the skull in some breeds of dogs radiological studies, namely magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, were conducted to determine the degree of development of the frontal sinuses, which allowed to establish previously unknown features of their size in relation to the crosssectional area of the cranial cavity. Thus, radiological studies have shown that the frontal sinuses are always asymmetric, and in the Chihuahua there is one continuous cavity, not divided into left and right parts.