Camel breed morphometrics: current methods and possibilities

ABSTRACT Camel populations can be found in large parts of the arid regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia. In this broad distribution, they exhibit large phenotypic variation, which so far has mostly been examined using traditional distance based morphometric approaches. The main pitfalls of previous studies include (1) the relatively few and ambiguously defined morphometric measurements, which often do not cover all functionally important traits, and (2) the narrow sampling of breeds and geographic regions. In this work, we provide some recommendations on how to standardise morphometric data collection, and also overview more advanced methods for capturing morphometric data in camels – this would greatly ease the process of data collection in these animals, which can sometimes be difficult to work with. As the morphometrics of camels can be studied for different purposes, we focus this review on its applicability to breed identification and delimitation, which is commonly studied on living camels. We also review methods commonly used in camel morphometrics, suggest a set of best practices, and outline novel methods. Finally, we suggest potential applied uses for these morphometric studies, particularly within the context of developing breeds specialised for different purposes, such as the production of meat, milk, and leather. While we focus this review on dromedaries, we anticipate that most recommendations will be widely applicable to other camelids, and livestock in general. The methods described in this review provide a detailed characterisation of phenotype in an efficient manner, allowing for the compilation of large morphometric data banks that would improve the understanding of the phenotypic structure of camel populations.