Sorting the sheep from the goats:: Morphological distinctions between the mandibles and mandibular teeth of adult Ovis and Capra

Diagnostic criteria are described for the taxonomic discrimination of adult mandibles of sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus). These criteria, based on morphological distinctions in the mandible, permanent premolars (P3-P4) and molars (M1-M3), have been successfully tested on a large and diverse body of modern reference material. In conjunction with published work on deciduous premolars, the new criteria enable complete and fragmentary mandibles of young, adult and elderly individuals to be identified to sheep or goat with acceptable levels of accuracy.