A Blue-tongued skink ( Tiliqua gigas) is a rare exotic species which is very popular between breeders. Nevertheless, the social structure of this charismatic skink remains almost unknown. Because of its high aggressive- ness and difficulties connected with study in its natural habitat, experiments based on the odor discrimination looks like a good alternative for its bet- ter understanding. Our results revealed that the reaction on the odor is generally poor and is very individual. We observed the highest response of interest on odors produced throught dorsal parts of skin. The reaction on conspecific's odor did not lead to escape behavior. Behavioral analysis was complemented by morphological analysis of heads in T. gigas and T.scincoides. These species are divided into separate subspecies, which are formed by geographically distinct populations. We wondered whether it is possible to separate these populations by geometric morphometrics and whether this separation is consistent with phylogenetic studies. We found out that if the populations are united in bigger groups based on their congeniality they seem to be distinct according to the head shape. Our results also revealed the monomorphy in head shape. Unfortu- nately, it is very difficult to distinguish between sexes due to the absence of sexual dimorphism....

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a damage to the spinal cord that causes permanent or temporary changes in motor and sensory functions. In humans, the traumatic impact to spinal cord is mostly directed from the ventral part of the spinal column, even though SCI models are principally directed from the dorsal part of the spinal column due to easier surgery. The aim of the work described in this thesis was to develop clinically more relevant, easily reproducible and relatively inexpensive model of the ventral spinal cord lesion in rats which replicates SCI in humans as closely as possible by its pathology, completeness, level and regeneration. For the surgery we used a modification of a balloon- compression technique. The balloon of the 2F embolectomy Fogarty's catheter was placed to the anterior epidural space via laminectomy at the level of T10 and when the final position of the catheter was achieved at the spinal level T8 in front of the anterior median fissure, a balloon was rapidly inflated with 10 μl or 15 μl of water for 5 minutes. Other two groups - laminectomy only and ventral placement of the catheter without inflation were used as controls. The motor functions were evaluated by the BBB test and ladder walking test. In BBB test we observed significantly impaired motor functions in the 15 μl...

The presented thesis summarizes the results of research on craniofacial morphology in patients with facial cleft defects in relation to therapeutic approaches (Caganova et al., 2014; Dadáková et al., 2016; Hoffmannova et al., 2016; Hoffmannova et al., 2018; Moslerová et al., 2018). The effect of therapy in individuals with pathological growth disorders cannot be evaluated without detailed auxological studies of control subjects whose facial morphology, longitudinal changes, or manifestations of sexual dimorphism were evaluated upon similar methodology (Koudelová et al. 2015). Therefore, the thesis was conceived as a volume of six publications complemented with a general synthetic introduction into the area of study. Together, the thesis includes probands in a broad age spectrum from birth to 15 years with a total of 294 facial 3D scans, 36 tele-X-ray face images, 3D scans of 112 gypsum palate castings. The methods of geometric morphometry and multidimensional statistics prevail in the assessment. The main clinical part of the thesis deals with the influence of two types of surgery on the facial growth and development of patients with cleft palate, namely secondary spongioplasty (SS) and neonatal cheiloplasty (NCH). Neonatal cheiloplasty (NCH) is the surgery whose effects were studied from several...

Remnants of planation surfaces in Hrubý Jeseník were noted in many geomorphological studies made in the studied area. However, the levels of planation surfaces were never described. The present study deals with the determination of the levels of planation surfaces (the amount of levels) and its connection to neotectonics. The whole area was divided into three parts (Pradědská, Keprnická and Orlická part). Histograms of elevation frequency, the cumulative graph of the area of planation surfaces and the statistical test show six levels of planation surfaces. Six levels were determined in Pradědská and Orlická part and four levels in Keprnická part. The levels of planation were compared to similar areas in the Sudetes. These intervals have significant representation of the flat surfaces within. Six levels of planation surfaces were determined. The main periods of uplift were presented based on the intervals between the levels of planation surfaces. The minimum uplift in the central, most active part is estimated to be 450 m.

The extinct insect group of Palaeodictyopteroida (Insecta: Palaeoptera) comprised mainly phytophagous species and occurred from Upper Carboniferous to Upper Permian. Megasecoptera is one of several orders of belonging to this group. Although, the order Megasecoptera comprised over 20 described families, morphology of some body structures are insufficiently studied. The present thesis deals with evaluation of new material comprising the extensive set of 76 fossil insect specimens from the Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian) of northern China. The fossils having excellent state of preservation of the wings and other body structures provide new insights concerning the external morphology of Megasecoptera. All studied specimens were attributed based on wing venation pattern into two known megasecopteran genera within families Brodiopteridae and Sphecopteridae. The aim of the present thesis is examine the morphology and variability of wing venation of two newly proposed species Brodioptera sp. n. and Cyclocelis sp. n. from site in northern China. In addition the following methods of geometric morphometrics based on landmarks were used for comparison of venational characters: a comparison of centroid size, procrustes analysis, principal component analysis and thin plate spline. Variability of wing venation...

The human face shape is constantly changing during human life, even after one`s development stop (Hennessy a Moss, 2001; Williams a Slice, 2010). This work applies geometric morphometry method on study of sexual dimorphism of human face through ageing. Sexual dimorphism can be defined as a systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex of the same kind (Samal et al., 2007). Morphological changes, related to the process of ageing of human face, were analysed on data obtained from 3D surface models of human faces using methods of geometric morphometry (Dense Correspondence Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Shell-to-Shell Deviation) and multivariatel statistics (Scree Plot, Hotelling`s Tš-test, permutational test, MANOVA). The work results indicates that the form (size with shape) and shape of men and women faces significantly change through ageing. Individuals aged between 20-40 years differ in form of the face, however the oldest men aged between 61-82 years differ from women only in shape of the face. The biggest differences in sexual dimorphism are in the middle age category (41-60 years), where there are significant differences not only in form, but also considering shape alone. Key words: ageing, form and shape, geometric morphometry, human face, sexual dimorphism 7

The order Diphyllobothriidea is a unique group of tapeworms in terms of the wide spectrum of definitive hosts involving all groups of tetrapods including man. They are almost globally distributed in both freshwater and marine ecosystems, but there are also terrestrial species. It is very difficult to identify species of diphyllobothriid cestodes to the species level. Morphology of the eggs might represent a new method in the differential diagnosis of these parasites. Besides the size and shape of the eggs, the structure of egg surface might play a significant role in the determination of different taxa. For the analysis of these characteristics Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used. Experimental infections in hamsters and man were done.

A taxonomic revision of the bothriocephalid tapeworms from the lizardfishes of the genus Saurida, based on the morphology and biometry, was carried out. A new material from four species of lizardfishes from Indonesia was examined and compared with literature and available type material. Results indicate only 2 species valid (Oncodiscus sauridae Yamaguti, 1934; Penetrocephalus ganapattii (Rao, 1954) Rao 1960).

Processes of biological changes of organism over time distinctly manifest themselves in a face morphology. The present study age changes are observed as shape and size changes of transversal dates of surface 3D virtual models of faces of 443 women and men (22-88 years old) devided into six age groups in decade. Differences in faces among each age group with respect to the sex were investigated and a sexual dimorphism and its gradual progress with the age using methods of geometric morphometrics (coherent point drift - dense correspondence algorithm, principal component analysis, per vertex t-test, shell-to-shell deviation). A significant difference among age categories was observedd both in shape as well as in form of the face. The faces of women and men were becoming wider with age and convexity was decreasing at the same time. A decline of the whole forehead and of the profile of the men's nose was observed, whereas the women's foreheadwas getting bevel due to the decline of the top part and a profile of the nose wasn't changed with the age. On contrary, the men's chin was unvarying with the age, while the women's chin was sliding out foward. There was observed a distinct decline in the front part of a upper jaw with the both sex. It was found out that after the seventh life decade the face gets...

The human face is not perfectly symmetrical, slight asymmetries commonly occur in every individual across all populations. The aim of the work was to monitor the asymmetry on the entire surface of the soft and hard tissues of the heads of individuals with respect to age and sexual dimorphism. The follow-up goal was then to evaluate the difference in asymmetry between the tissues. The material for the work was a transverse set of CT images of the adult Czech population in the age range of 21-84 years. Individuals were divided according to gender into 50 men and 48 women and according to age into groups up to 39 years, 40-59 years and over 60 years. Geometric morphometry methods (CPD - DCA, asymmetry analysis, per vertex T-test, superprojection methods) were used for data analysis. The results were visualized using color maps and significance maps that show asymmetry and statistical significance. The variability of the file was analyzed by principal component analysis. The results of the evaluation of hard tissues showed a right protrusion on the anterior and lateral surfaces of the skull, in both men and women at all age intervals. This asymmetry was statistically very significant, in contrast to the posterior region, which was evaluated protrusion on the left side and had lower p-value. On the soft...