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ADAPTIVE FEATURES IN THE SKULLS OF AFRICAN SUIDAE
Author(s) -
Ewer R. F.
Publication year - 1958
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1958.tb00637.x
Subject(s) - suidae , zoology , geography , restitution , biology , paleontology , political science , law
SUMMARY The relevance of a functional understanding of the skull architecture of living forms to the study of fossils is pointed out. A brief description of the food and feeding habits of the extant Bushpig ( Potamochoerus koiroptamus ) and Warthog ( Phacochoerus africanus ) is given, and the muscles of mastication and those controlling the movements of the rhinarium are described. The features in the skull of the Bushpig which are related to the digging habit and those of the Warthog which are related to its grass eating habit are pointed out. The adaptive features in the skull of the Forest Hog ( Hylochoerus meinertzhageni ) are discussed. The way in which an analysis in terms of the functional basis of skull characteristics may throw light on the modes of life of fossil suids is briefly indicated.