Classification of an equine skull in the Science Museum of Coimbra, Portugal, by means of multivariate and qualitative analysis

• Published in: Travaux du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle "Grigore Antipa" Vol. 64; no. 1; pp. 187 - 195
• Main Authors: Parés-Casanova, Pere M., Torrent, Mireia, Carolino, Nuno, Cabral-Oliveira, Joana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 30-06-2021
• Subjects: Equids; hinny; mule; quagga
• ISSN: 1223-2254; 2247-0735
• DOI: 10.3897/travaux.64.e55215

The study aimed at classifying an equine skull stored in
Museu da Ciência da Universidade de Coimbra
, Coimbra (Portugal) on the basis of its morphology using multivariate analyses. A visual appraisal had revealed that it was not from a horse. Nineteen cephalic measurements were obtained and compared with available data of horses of different groups (poneys, trait and saddle), equine hybrids, Przewalski's horse (
Equus przewalskii
), wild and domestic asses, and quaggas (
Equus quagga
). Multivariate analysis plus head profile allowed us to assign the skull to a mare hinny -the hybrid between a jenny (female donkey) and a stallion (male horse). The research highlights the possibilities of categorization of equid skulls according to morphometry but with a need to consider qualitative traits, as head profiles. But more such studies are needed to be conducted to establish clearly differences between mules and hinnies, especially among sympatric populations.