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Guintard, C.; Arnaud, S.
Comparative osteology of the skull in three species of western European felids: Lynx (_Lynx lynx_), wild cat (_Felis sylvestris_) and domestic cat (_Felis catus_)
2003 Bulletin de la Soci‚t‚ des sciences naturelles de l'Ouest de la France (25): 49-83
The study is led in tow distinct steps: firstly the qualitative part, from 20 morphological criteria of the skull (including the mandibule), allows to make out the main differences between the three species. Secondly the quantitative part (osteometry) is based on 40 variables measured on the skull and the face, and 13 on the mandibule (the sexual dimorphism is not taken into account). The sample is composed of animals with an adult size; 21 domestic Cats, 16 Wildcats and 11 Lynx. From a morphological point of view, only one criterion allows to differentiate between the three species. The discrimination between species is all the more important since the diagnosis criteria are combined. Concerning the metric study, the Lynx stands out by its bigger size, whereas the domestic Cat is characterized by a greater variability than the one observed in thw two wild species.
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