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 preceding account of the inheritance of the factor for horns is
based on the combination of Dorsets and Suffolks used by Wood. That
other conditions may exist in other breeds and even in races of the
same breed is claimed by Arkell as a result of a large number of crosses
that he has carried out. He states, for instance, that in the great
Merino class, with its various sub-breeds, there are flocks in which the
males only are horned, but even here there may be individual males that
are hornless “and at times the females may also show some signs of horn
growth.” In America, Arkell states, there are three types of
Merinos--the American, the Delaine, and the Rambouillet. He quotes Plumb
(Types and Breeds of Farm Animals, Boston, 1906) as stating that “the
American Merino ram carries heavy, spirally twisted horns, but the ewes
are hornless; ... that the rams of the National Standard or Victor-Beald
Delaines may or may not have horns; that the Dickinson Delaines may have
small horns, but a polled head is preferred,” etc. These conditions
suggest that there may be more than a single factor for horns in sheep
or that there may be modifying factors in certain breeds. In fact,
Arkell and Davenport attempt to cover the results of Arkell’s
experiments by assuming that there is an inhibiting factor for horns
that is carried by the sex chromosome. Such an inhibitor (I) would be
double in the XX female and single in the X male. It is assumed to be
incapable of preventing the development of horns in the heterozygous Hh
male, the inhibitor being there simplex (_i.e._, one I), while the
double inhibitor is capable of preventing the horns in the heterozygous
(Hh) condition, but not of preventing the development of horns when the
homozygous (HH) condition occurs. There are several objections to this
scheme: first, that there is no evidence that a _sex-linked_ inhibitor
is present that affects the hornless breeds, for the evidence indicates
rather that there is no factor for horns present in them, at least in
the Suffolks; second, the peculiar balance between the factors for horns
and the inhibitor seems an extremely artificial statement. Arkell and
Davenport intimate that races with horned males and hornless females do
not exist in a pure state. That breeds impure in these respects may
exist need not be denied, but that pure races for such a dimorphic
condition do exist seems probable. Castle states, for instance, that he
knows at first hand of such races of Merinos. Castle also states that
castrated Merino rams in this race do not develop horns, and this result
is in accordance with statements made by Marshall for Herdwicks (a race
with horned males and hornless females). Under the circumstances it is
certain that the presence of the testes is one of the factors in
determining whether horns develop at all (as in Merinos), or in
determining the extent to which they develop (as in the Dorsets), rather
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account