School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Graduate Program in Wild Animals, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil.
Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil.
Anat Histol Embryol. 2020 May;49(3):317-324. doi: 10.1111/ahe.12531. Epub 2020 Jan 25.
The capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are the largest rodent found throughout South America and are present in almost all the Brazilian territory, however, still lack basic descriptions about the species, such as about their cranial anatomy. This study was carried out to investigate the anatomical features in the capybara skull. Eight skulls and two heads, without sexual distinction, were used for the osteological, radiographic and tomographic identification of their structures. The skull of the capybara could be divided into a neurocranium and a viscerocranium. The capybara had a more robust and rectangular skull, elongated face caudally, thinned in the nasal region and slightly convex in the parietal region. The zygomatic arch was expanded and wide, the orbit had a circular shape, the infraorbital foramen was well developed, external acoustic meatus and tympanic bulla were relatively small, and the paracondylar process was large. These anatomical characteristics are compatible with the eating habit and semi-aquatic life of capybaras, which can be compared with characteristics reported for animals of similar habits. The radiographic image allowed to identify structures such as the frontal sinus, whereas 3D tomographic reconstruction was essential to have a spatial view of the skull of the capybara.
水豚（Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris）是南美洲发现的最大的啮齿动物，几乎遍布整个巴西领土，但关于其颅骨解剖结构仍缺乏基本描述。本研究旨在调查水豚颅骨的解剖学特征。使用了 8 个头骨和 2 个头骨（无性别区分）进行骨骼学、放射学和断层扫描鉴定其结构。水豚的颅骨可分为颅神经和颅面骨。水豚的颅骨更粗壮和长方形，面部向尾部拉长，鼻部变细，顶骨略凸。颧骨宽阔，眼眶呈圆形，眶下孔发达，外耳道口和鼓室相对较小，髁突颈较大。这些解剖学特征与水豚的食性和半水生生活习惯相适应，可与具有相似生活习惯的动物的特征相比较。放射影像可以识别额窦等结构，而 3D 断层扫描重建对于获得水豚颅骨的空间视图至关重要。
