Classification of four ovine breeds of southern peninsular zone of India: Morphometric study using classical discriminant function analysis

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Table 1 Means, coefficient of variation, and significance of flock and age effects for each of the morphological traits in different sheep breeds

	Body Traits	Females				Males				Sexual dimorphism (m/f)
		Statistics		Fixed effects		Statistics		Fixed effects
		Mean	CV	Flock	Age	Mean	CV	Flock	Age
Bellary	BL	65.6^b	5.27	***	NS	70.2^f	6.73	***	***	1.07
	HW	68.9^b	4.61	***	NS	74.5^f	5.37	***	***	1.08
	CG	76.0^b	5.43	***	***	82.5^f	6.25	***	***	1.08
	EL	13.2^c	30.28	***	NS	13.3^f	27.29	*	NS	1.00
	TL	11.2^a	13.04	***	NS	12.5^e	12.64	***	NS	1.12
	BW	31.8^b	16.55	***	***	43.0^f	17.54	***	***	1.35
Kenguri	BL	67.3^a	4.48	***	***	74.7^e	5.40	NS	NS	1.11
	HW	72.6^a	4.06	***	NS	81.5^e	4.77	NS	NS	1.12
	CG	78.4^a	5.22	***	***	89.4^e	5.50	NS	NS	1.14
	EL	15.2^a	9.45	***	NS	15.2^e	8.51	NS	NS	0.99
	TL	10.1^bc	16.26	***	NS	12.0^ef	16.32	NS	NS	1.19
	BW	35.9^a	13.72	***	***	52.6^e	14.87	NS	*	1.47
Hassan	BL	62.0^c	5.07	**	**	64.3^h	7.49	NS	NS	1.04
	HW	60.8^c	5.64	***	NS	64.4^g	7.15	NS	NS	1.06
	CG	71.9^c	7.32	***	***	75.2^h	7.09	NS	NS	1.05
	EL	14.1^b	10.45	NS	NS	14.1^ef	9.30	NS	NS	0.99
	TL	10.3^b	13.26	**	NS	11.5^fg	20.03	NS	NS	1.11
	BW	28.3^c	17.09	***	***	32.8^h	19.22	NS	NS	1.16
Mandya	BL	60.5^d	6.09	***	**	68.3^g	5.52	NS	NS	1.13
	HW	54.3^d	8.15	***	**	62.3^h	7.12	NS	NS	1.15
	CG	69.3^d	7.09	***	***	79.1^g	6.86	**	NS	1.14
	EL	13.0^c	14.12	***	NS	12.8^f	13.73	*	NS	0.99
	TL	9.9^c	11.50	***	*	10.7^g	13.58	NS	NS	1.08
	BW	26.8^d	16.32	***	***	37.2^g	16.78	NS	NS	1.39

BL, body length; HW, height at withers; CG, chest girth; EL, ear length TL, tail length; BW, body weight; CV, coefficient of variation (%); ^abcdmeans (female) and ^efghmeans (male) in the same column with different superscripts are significantly different ; *Significance level: p < 0.05; ** Significance level: p < 0.01; *** Significance level: p < 0.0001; Body weights are in kilogram, other traits are in centimetre.