A Novel Method for Increasing the Numerousness of Biometrical Parameters Useful for Wildlife Management: Roe Deer Mandible as Bone Model

摘要

The wildlife expansion in the Italian Apennines caused a general development in hunting activities, together with the necessity of using biometry (size analysis) and geometric morphometry (shape analysis) as methods for monitoring the status of wildlife populations. Thus, in the last decades, study of the sizes and shapes of structures in wildlife populations has been extensively investigated. Biometric surveys and analysis of the resulting cranial and body data are now crucial in management decisions and new possibilities of improving datasets should be considered. Thus, we attempted to identify a conversion factor between shape and size analysis methods, using the mandible of adult roe deer as a bone model. The availability of this conversion factor enhances the numerousness of parameters into the classical biometric database, by means of the conversion of shape measures into size measures. Therefore, the relationship among biometric parameters, animal and environmental features can be better studied. The obtained data can be very useful to assess both wildlife population status and its management.