Osteometric and Morphologic Study of Appendicular Skeletons of Female Simien Sheep in Wogera District, Northwest Ethiopia

Simien sheep are the predominant fat-tailed sheep breeds found in Northwest Ethiopia, playing a significant role in the livelihood of resource-poor farmers. This study provides the morphometric and morphological descriptions of the appendicular skeletons of Ethiopia's indigenous female Simien sheep. The reason for this work was the dearth of knowledge regarding the osteometry and morphology of appendicular skeletons in domestic animals, particularly the indigenous sheep of Ethiopia. Hence, it has been done to generate osteometrical data and investigate morphological features. Two age groups ([12-18 months] and [19-24 months]) of 10 female Simien sheep were purchased from Wogera district. Sheep with a lack of observable skeletal abnormalities, non-pregnant and lactating and in good health were purposively selected. The chemical method standard procedures were adopted for specimen preparation. Osteometrical measurements and morphological investigations were taken and summarized using descriptive statistics (mean ± SD) and independent sample t-tests. The measurement values were significantly (p < 0.05) increased with age across groups in most of the variables; however, a significant difference was not observed in scapula (breadth of the glenoid cavity), humerus, ulna, metacarpal, femur and tibia (smallest breadth of the diaphysis), metacarpal and femur (smallest circumference of the diaphysis), metatarsal measurement parameters and weight of metatarsals. The study demonstrated that the anatomy of the appendicular skeletons of Simien sheep differed slightly, both morphologically and morphometrically, from other ruminants. The findings on the osteometric and morphologic characteristics can be used as a contribution to a comparative model for other ovine breeds in general and Ethiopian sheep breeds in particular. It is therefore recommended that further work and studies should be carried out on other age groups, ecotypes and other indigenous sheep breeds, and investigation on the effect of age and sexual dimorphism should be important. It is imagined that the results obtained will be useful as baseline research data for further surgical and comparative anatomical studies.