[Postnatal development of the spine in sheep and goats].

From the first day to the age of eight years and a half, post-natal development of spinal column was studied in 84 sheep of the Merino breed and 40 crossbred goats. At birth time the axial skeleton was observed to have a high degree of development. Coalescence of the components of spinal column segments starts soon after birth and generally terminates by the third year of life. In animals above three years of age ossification or calcification centres occur in the cartilaginous margin of the spinal process of the second cervical vertebra and in lig. supraspinale . The heads of all ribs and processes ( extremitates ) of the last caudal vertebrae also ossify after birth. The time of the coalescence of the components of vertebrae is about the same in sheep and goats; in some sections it may be even earlier or later in the goat than in sheep. No sexual dimorphism was observed in the coalescence of the components of vertebrae in small ruminants.