The genetic and the operative evidence relating to secondary sexual charactersMorgan, Thomas Hunt
Science
The genetic and the operative evidence relating to secondary sexual characters
Morgan, Thomas Hunt
Genetics; Poultry; Sex (Biology)
2. A striking change takes place when the Sebright male is castrated
(plate 1, figs. 3, 4; plate 3, fig. 1). The new feathers on the upper
surface of the head, neck, back, wings, rump, and tail-coverts assume a
different color and distribution of their pigment; they take on a new
shape, and in those regions where in the cock the barbules are absent
from a part of the margin of the feather, the same absence occurs in the
castrated birds. Such feathers are present on the neck, back, wing-bow,
and rump. The transition is shown in the figures in plate 6, where for
comparison one of the old and one of the new feathers lie side by side.
The tail-coverts in the hen-feathered bird are short, and like those in
the hen do not cover the true tail. After castration they become
excessively long--longer, in fact, than in many cocks--and cover the
true tail feathers. The tail feathers themselves, moreover, become
increased in length, as do the posterior row of feathers of the
wing-coverts. On the breast and sides the change is less marked. The
castrated Sebright loses his erect carriage, but how far this is due to
the changes in his plumage and how far is real (as a result of a new
balance due possibly to the lengthening tail and its coverts) I can not
decide.
3. While castration causes the hen-feathered male to make additions in
color, length, and size of many feathers, it causes at the same time the
other retrogressive changes characteristic of the capon (a castrated
cock-feathered bird); the comb and wattles shrink and become pale, the
birds almost cease crowing, and become timid. They do not make much
effort to mate with the hens, but when they do they show the usual
copulatory reactions.
4. If feathers are removed at the time of castration, the new feathers
show the full effect of the removal of the testes, although they must
have begun to develop immediately afterward. It is suggested that by
means of this delicate test the time relations of the internal secretion
can be profitably studied.
5. Feathers that may have started their development at the time of the
operation show the old influence at the tip of the feathers (plate 10)
and the new one in the rest of the feather. The change is abrupt,
although the transition is perfect.
6. Incomplete castration of the hen-feathered male leads to smaller
changes in the same direction than those following complete castration.
Where such small pieces of the testis were left that complete
cock-feathering followed, the bird slowly changed back to
hen-feathering as the testes began to regenerate. When the regenerated
pieces were removed the bird became cock-feathered again.
7. One Sebright male whose testes appear to have been completely removed
did not change the character of the plumage. No testes were found on
autopsy. It is suggested that some other endocrine organs have taken
over the function of the testes, but as yet none such can be indicated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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