Scapular Glenoid Observations of Six Canis lupus dingo

Lawier, D. F.; Evans, Richard H.; Reetz, Jennifer A.; Sackman, Jill E.; Chase, Kevin; Widga, Christopher C.; Smith, Gail K.

doi:10.21608/jva.2015.44866

Scapular Glenoid Observations of Six Canis lupus dingo

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Illinois State Museum, Research and Collections Center, 1011 East Ash St., Springfield, IL 62703, USA & Pacific Marine Mammal Center, 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach CA 92651

² Pacific Marine Mammal Center, 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach CA 92651

³ School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Spruce St., Philadel- phia PA 19104

⁴ Numerof & Associates, Inc., Four City Place Drive, Suite 430, St. Louis MO 63141

⁵ Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

⁶ Illinois State Museum, 1011 East Ash St, Springfield IL 62703

10.21608/jva.2015.44866

Abstract

Scapular skeletal remains of six 20thcentury dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) were examined. One had been an elderly zoo resident, and five were taken in the wild. The zoo specimen and one wild-caught specimen each revealed an unusual bilateral ossified feature of the scapular glenoid fossa. The roughly triangular feature is visually similar to the appearance of a SLAP tear (glenoid superior labral tear, anterior-posterior) in humans. However, the SLAP tear injury is not compatible with current understanding of biceps tendon at- tachment on the domestic dog scapula. Additionally, the pattern of lateral peri-articular rimming in these six specimens suggests possible incipient pathological change. We discuss the differential diagnoses for these observations.

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