Table 7.
Description of skeletal differences of the skull between fowls and chicken and within the analysed chicken breeds grouped by their breeding purposes.
| type | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chickens |
||||||||||
| ornamental breeds |
laying breeds |
|||||||||
| trait | fowls | fight | true bantams | other ornamental | Polish | Araucana | Appenzeller Barthuhn | Appenzeller Spitzhaubenhuhn | other laying | meat breed |
| premaxilla | straight | bended | slightly bended | bended | bended | bended | highly bended | bended | bended | bended |
| In S/1985.41.2 (Gallus sonneratii) is bended like in chickens | In 63 (Holländisches Seidenhuhn) is straight as in fowls | In 1868.2. 19.61 (gold spangled Polish) beak is deformed | ||||||||
| cranial vault | Rounded/globular | Slight curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal | Quite rounded/globular | Quite rounded/globular. Slightly furrowed frontal in the midline | Characteristic crest in the frontal. Curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal is pronounced | Curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal. Furrowed frontal in the midline | Slightly curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal | Curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal. Furrowed frontal in the midline with hole/holes between the frontals. The mesethmoid is quite visible between the frontal. A little ‘crest’ is present | Perceptible curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal | Curvature in the boundary between frontal and parietal. Furrowed frontal in the midline |
| 1945.1.1 (Gallus lafayetii) shows two bilateral protuberances/knobs in the posterior part of the frontal | In 64 (Pekin) slightly furrowed frontal in the midline | In S/1952.2.114 (white Polish) the crest extends more anteriorly than in 1868.2.19.61 (gold spangled Polish) | In 115 there is a crest as in Polish but smaller, being the boundary between frontal and parietal even more pronounced. In 87 a little protuberance in the midline of the anterior part of the frontal | In s/1952.2.105 (Spanish cock) a little protuberance/ crest | In 2 (Swiss chicken) is quite rounded | |||||
| nasals | Normally a perceptible suture with the frontal. In some specimens the nasals overlap the posterior-dorsal premaxila processes dorsally | Less perceptible suture with the frontal | Perceptible suture with the frontal, remarkable in 63 (Holländisches Seidenhuhn) | Perceptible suture with the frontal | Perceptible suture with the frontal and enlarged posteriorly. The anterior dorsal process does not meet the premaxilla | Fused with the frontal (suture imperceptible) | Perceptible suture with the frontal, showing a ‘V’ shape in this zone | Perceptible suture with the frontal and enlarged posteriorly The anterior dorsal process does not meet the premaxilla | Less perceptible suture with the frontal | Perceptible suture with the frontal |
| In S/1952.2.114 (white Polish) meeting in the midline | In 115 more perceptible the suture with frontal, and enlargement to posterior | In 6 and 7 the suture with the frontal is less perceptible, in 2 nasals meet in the midline | In 7 (Leghorn) anterior dorsal processes overlap premaxilla | In S/1952.3.51 (Kulm-Malay) fused with the frontal (suture imperceptible) | ||||||
| supraoccipital/ foramen magnum | The posterior occipital end is rounded. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is slightly pointy. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to ventral in 1868.2.1965 (Game hen) and caudal in 1868.2.19.58 (Rumpless fowl) | The posterior occipital end is pointy. Outline supraoccipital and parietal pointy (triangular). Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is pointy. Outline supraoccipital and parietal rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is rounded. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal pointy (triangular). Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is pointy in 115 and 87, and quite rounded in 84 and 86. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal is rounded 84 and 86, quite straight in 115, and pointy in 87 (triangular). Foramen magnum oriented to caudal in 84 and 86, and ventral in 115 and 87 | The posterior occipital end is rounded. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to ventral (1 and 2) and caudal (3 and 4) | The posterior occipital end is pointy. Outline supraoccipital and parietal rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is pointy. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal quite rounded. Foramen magnum oriented to caudal | The posterior occipital end is pointy. Outline between supraoccipital and parietal pointy (triangular). Foramen magnum oriented to ventral |
| In S/1985.41.2 (Gallus sonneratii) the posterior occipital end is quite pointy | In 1868.2.19.74 (Burmese) outline between supraoccipital and parietal straight and foramen magnum oriented to ventral | In 6 and 7 the outline between supraoccipital and parietal pointy | In 7 (Leghorn) and S/1952.2.105 (Spanish cock) outline between supraoccipital and parietal is pointy (triangular). Foramen magnum oriented to ventral | |||||||
| zygomatic/ postorbital process | meeting | meeting | meeting | meeting | not meeting | meeting | meeting | not meeting | meeting | meeting |
| In 6 and 7 are meeting | ||||||||||