Morphometric Studies on The Tarsal Bones of Blue Bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus)

Abstract

A study was carried out on the tarsal bones of blue bull. The tarsus of blue bull consisted of five  bones i.e., tibial tarsal (Astragalus), fibular tarsal (Oscalcis), fused central and fourth tarsal  (Scaphocuboid), first tarsal (Cunciformparvum) and second and third tarsal fused (Cuseiform  magnum).The average height and breadth of tibial tarsal was 6.81 ±0.01 cm and 3.84±0.01 cm,  respectively. The fibular tarsal was the longest, elongated bone of the tarsus and flattened from  side to side with an average height and breadth 12.00±0.01 cm and 3.72±0.01 cm, respectively.  The central and the fourth tarsalswere fused together to form a large single bone. The average  height and breadth for central and fourth fused tarsal was 2.54±0.01 cm and 5.11 ±0.01 cm,  respectively. The first tarsal was a quadrilateral piece of bone placed at the postero-internal part  of the tarsus. The length and maximum breadth of first tarsal was 2.14±0.01 cm and 3.32±0.01  cm, respectively. The second and third fused tarsal was a small plate of bone having length and  breadth of second and third fused tarsal 1 .68±0.01 cm and 3.34±0.01 cm, respectively.