Morphological character of the shoulder and leg skeleton in Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii).

The skeletal feature was observed in Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii) and the domestic horse (E. caballus). As results of the observations, remarkable differences were found in the scapula. The caudal border of the scapula in Przewalski's horse is curved in the caudal direction more than that of the domestic horse. Moreover, in the domestic horse, the sharp caudal border is formed by the shift of the outer muscular line (Linea muscularis) to the border. In Przewalski's horse, however, the caudal border is rounded because the outer muscular line does not shift to the border but lies beside it. We suggest that the morphological difference observed between the scapulae of these horses may lead to changes in the shoulder movement with the various attachments of the long head of the triceps muscle (Caput longum musculi tricipitis). The skeletal measurement and the measurement ratio show that the leg skeleton of Przewalski's horse is shorter and thicker than that of the domestic horse. These results show that the center of gravity of Przewalski's horse is low in position and that it has a short stride.