Methodology for Estimating the Asymmetry of the Antler of the Iberian Deer from Its CAD Characterization

In the field of animal biology, it is important to know variables (biomarkers), which represent the state of the antlers of cervids (deer), and which can be related to the degree of health of the specimen or to other external and environmental factors with which the specimen has been related. A methodology is proposed to estimate the degree of bilateral asymmetry defect of the antlers, characterized by the variable (AI) ‘asymmetry index’. This will represent the degree of deviation, in terms of length and perpendicularity, of each of the two branches of the antlers on a plane of symmetry referenced on the skull of the specimen. A sample of 48 antlers of Iberian deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) from hunting days in the locality of Andújar (Spain) was used. The methodology is applied on the CAD model of the antlers, previously defined, represented by its axial structure. Finally, a global asymmetry (AI) value is obtained, variable between 0 and 1, which characterizes the degree of asymmetry of the antlers of the specimen. Preliminary results show that symmetrical antlers correspond to those specimens that have a high hunting quality; future studies will be able to demonstrate this correlation with samples of larger specimens.