Phalangeal proportions
Definition
The relative lengths and widths of the digit bones (phalanges). Used in bear paw identification, where species-specific phalangeal index ratios and claw curvature separate Asiatic black bear from other bear species and from domestic pig feet (a documented substitution in trade).
Related terms
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- Cortical bone histology
- Examination of thin sections of compact bone under transmitted and polarised light microscopy to characterise osteon structure, lamellation, and vascularisation pattern. Used...
- Osteometric discriminant analysis
- Multivariate statistical classification of an unidentified bone specimen based on a set of standardised measurements, using reference data from known-species museum collections...
- Osteon (Haversian system)
- The basic structural unit of compact cortical bone: a central Haversian canal surrounded by concentric lamellae of mineralised collagen. Osteon diameter and...
Explained in
- Bone and Skeletal Element IdentificationThe relative lengths and widths of the digit bones (phalanges). Used in bear paw identification, where species-specific phalangeal index ratios and claw curvat...