[Stereotaxic: measurements of the skull cap and skull base in merino sheep (Ovis aries L.)].

On the 14 skulls of 6-month old merino labms, stereotaxical measurements were carried out. Not only individual variations were found, but they also dependent on sex. A small assymetry was found on the diagrams of frontal measurements of the skull cap and base. The point bregma is more variable than the lambda. The position of the cranial third of the skull base in 6 month old lambs is not yet constant and until adult age it will shift about 30 degrees to 35 degrees dorsalward and forward. Since the skull cap and base do not grow parallely, and their cranial part has not constant position, we do not recommended this age group for chronic experiments with implanted electrodes. Owing to smaller variations of the skull cap and base and nearer position of the sutura sagittalis toward the medial line, male lambs would be more suitable for short-term experiments and for the stereotactic atlas of deep brain structures.