{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T18:04:12Z","timestamp":1792087452554,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]],"date-time":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739491200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The calcaneus plays a critical role in balance, locomotion, and muscle attachment, making it a key structure for biomechanical adaptations. This study examined interspecies differences between sheep and goats, as well as intraspecies variations among different sheep breeds, in calcaneus morphology. A total of 128 right calcanei were analyzed using 3D geometric morphometric methods to allow detailed assessments of calcaneus shape and size. Among sheep, the Hamdani sheep displayed the largest calcaneus among the breeds, distinguishing them significantly from the others. In contrast, goats had a bilaterally narrower calcaneal body, while sheep featured a more pronounced distal portion that articulates with the talus and a deeper articular surface. Additionally, the sustentaculum tali were more developed in sheep. The bilaterally compressed calcaneal body in goats likely reflects their agility and ability to navigate steep, rocky terrains. In contrast, sheep\u2019s broader and more robust calcaneus may support their grazing lifestyle on flatter terrains, emphasizing their stability and weight-bearing capacity. These findings highlight the functional significance of calcaneal morphology in the locomotor strategies and physical capabilities of goats and sheep, providing valuable insights for comparative anatomy and veterinary science.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15040556","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]],"date-time":"2025-02-14T04:48:51Z","timestamp":1739508531000},"page":"556","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["3D Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Calcaneal Morphology in Domestic Caprinae: Sheep (Ovis aries) and Goat (Capra hircus)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2504-120X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bar\u0131\u015f Can","family":"G\u00fczel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Siirt University, 56100 Siirt, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8555-6435","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomasz","family":"Szara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Morphological Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-6747-8395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Burak","family":"\u00dcnal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6075-7342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sokol","family":"Duro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana, 1000 Tirana, Albania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatma","family":"\u0130\u015fbilir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Siirt University, 56100 Siirt, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5370-961X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Funda","family":"Yi\u011fit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mihaela-Claudia","family":"Spataru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, \u201cIon Ionescu de la Brad\u201d Iasi University of Life Sciences, 700489 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4412-1966","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Go\u017adziewska-Har\u0142ajczuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroc\u0142aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-631 Wroc\u0142aw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3637-8166","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ozan","family":"G\u00fcndemir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Castell\u00f3, J.R. 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