Gross morphological and biometrical studies on the typical cervical vertebrae of Blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus)

The present study was carried out on the third (C3), fourth (C4) and fifth (C5) cervical vertebrae of six specimens of adult Blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) of either sex. It was found that the transverse process was bifid with a transverse foramen located at its base. The upper part of the transverse process projected backward and was short and stout, while the lower part was directed downward and forward and was found to be longer and more plate-like. The bodies of C3-C5 tended tobecome shorter and wider from front to backwards. The supraspinous process wasfound to be shortand centrally tuberous in C3 that gradually increased in height and length to C5 with forward inclination. The articular processes of the typical cervical vertebrae slightly convex cranially and concave caudally. The posterior articular facets of C5 were egg shaped, whereas those of C4 were like the map of Africa in the Blue bull. A well defined infraspinous process projected from the vertebral body that divided the base into two halves. The biometrical observations on different parameters of typical cervical vertebra reflected significance (P<0.05) differences between the sexes of this species.