The genetic and the operative evidence relating to secondary sexual characters — John Shaqi
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)
The conclusions that the “amount of lutear cells or pigment (?) is in
precise correlation with the degree of external somatic femaleness
exhibited by the individual” is of especial interest in connection with
the Sebright evidence. It is difficult, however, to gather from the body
of the paper what the absolute amount of luteal cells is that is
present, for even in some of the more male-like birds with an ovotestis
the description leads one to suppose that there may be as much luteal
material present as in some of the more female birds with infantile
ovaries or cystic tumors.
Pearl and Curtis (1909) described “a case of incomplete hermaphroditism”
in a Barred Plymouth Rock fowl. Externally the bird looked like a hen,
but “the head and neck resembled these parts in the cockerel,”
especially the comb and wattles. The bird was never seen to tread a hen,
nor did it ever crow normally. An ovary and oviduct were found on the
left side, the former no larger than that of a laying hen after removal
of the large yolks. No eggs were visible on its surface. On the right
side a testis (9 mm. by 6 mm.) and vas deferens were present. No eggs
were found in the ovary, and it gave every indication of being in a
degenerating condition, with no eggs or egg follicles in it. The testis
had no “normal seminiferous tubules”, but indications of cellular rods
were present. The organ is in all probability a degenerating testis.
A Leghorn 2 years old has been described by Shattuck and Seligmann
(1906) that had the full-developed comb and wattles of the cock, but the
former drooped slightly to one side as in the hen. Well-developed spurs
were present. The plumage was mainly female, with neck-hackles
moderately developed, and with “saddle-hackles” practically absent. The
tail, though not typically female, lacks sickle feathers. The bird
excited no notice from other birds of either sex. A large left oviduct
and the distal end of a right oviduct were present. Two vasa deferentia
were also present. In the left side a flattened sex-gland (3 cm. high)
was found, made up of testicular tubules. Two small ova were found in
its posterior end. The right gonad was also tubular (testis).
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