Are the mandible shapes of common (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and golden (Paradoxurus zeylonensis) palm civets different? A pilot study

In this study adult common and golden palm civet mandibles were analysed by geometric morphometric method. For this purpose, the materials were photographed in accordance with the procedure and analysed using computer programs. No allometric component was detected in the comparison of the mandibles. The first principal component defined 28.657% of the total shape variation in the mandibles of the two groups that were analysed with a total of 19 landmarks. The samples were largely separated from each other in the principal component analysis. The shape differences were mostly in the caudal of the mandible. Also, in the common palm civet mandible, the mental foramina were located more ventrally from the premolars edge than in the golden palm civet. It is thought that the information obtained as a result of the study will contribute to the studies of understanding the taxonomic difference or similarities in terms of two species.