Comparative Postcranial Osteology of Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), Scimitar Oryx (Oryx dammah) and Addax (Addax nasomaculatus), With Notes On the Osteometry of Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) and Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx)

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Language: English

From the introduction:

"While the cranial and dental features and horn core morphology of African bovids are well known, literature on the postcranial osteomorphology and osteometry of these ungulates is still limited. Scientists analysing animal remains from archaeological sites in Africa are often confronted with identification problems since few keys exist to separate the postcranial skeleton of bovids, even of the more common species. Bone samples from archaeological sites generally being dominated by bovid remains, there is a need for in-depth studies dealing with the osteomorphology and osteometry of the axial and appendicular skeleton, especially of similar-sized species with overlapping distributions. The last decade already witnessed substantial progress into this matter, with studies [...] on the osteology of bovid species that are widely distributed throughout Africa, including Oribi (Ourebia ourebi), Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), Grey Rhebok (Pelea capreolus), Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), Grant’s Gazelle (Gazella grunti), Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca), Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia) and African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer).

Apart from the morphological differences between the phalanges of Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger), Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) and Bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros), described by Van Neer (ibid.), there is almost no information with respect to the morphology of the postcranial skeleton of large bovids, a category which comprises at least 14 species (cf. Peters 1991: 212-3, Table 10-5). The aim of this contribution is to extend our knowledge of the osteology
of this group of bovids, focusing on three species that once were very common in Northem Africa, i.e., Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), Scimitar Oryx (Oryx dammah) and Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) (P1. 1). However, since the other Oryx species, namely Gemsbok (O. gazella) and Arabian Oryx (O. leucoryx), exhibit a similar postcranial osteomorphology as in O. dammah, it was decided to also measure museum specimens of these species and to include them in the tables."

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