Animal Sciences Commons^™

Adjustment Factors For 120-Day Weaning Weight In Rambouullet Range Lambs, R. M. Lewis, M. Shelton, J. O. Sanders, D. R. Notter, W. R. Pirie, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Additive and multiplicative environmental adjustments for effects of dam age, lamb sex and birth-rearing type on 120-d weight were derived using data from 819 Rambouillet range lambs. The relationship between mean and variance within environmental effect classes was one criterion for evaluating suitability of adjustment methods. Among lamb sexes and birth-rearing types, larger means were associated with greater variability (P < .01). Variances became homogeneous (P > .10) when data were expressed on a logarithmic scale, suggesting that multiplicative adjustments for these effects are needed. Because variances were homogeneous with respect to dam age (P > .50), additive adjustment factors are suggested for this effect. Validation of a …

Gibbon Classification: The Issue Of Species And Subspecies, Erin Lee Osterud

Dissertations and Theses

Gibbon classification at the species and subspecies levels has been hotly debated for the last 200 years. This thesis explores the reasons for this debate. Authorities agree that siamang, concolor, kloss and hoolock are species, while there is complete lack of agreement on lar, agile, moloch, Mueller's and pileated. The disagreement results from the use and emphasis of different character traits, and from debate on the occurrence and importance of gene flow.

International Registry Of Poultry Genetic Stocks, Ralph G. Somes Jr.

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Genic Studies Of Lasiurus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), Robert J. Baker, John C. Patton, Hugh H. Genoways, John W. Bickham

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Bats of the genus Lasiurus present a number of interesting systematic problems that are difficult to resolve by traditional techniques. Members of the genus share a suite of derived morphological (Hall and Jones, 1961; Handley , 1960) and karyotypic (Bickham 1979, 1988) characteristics. However, until 1960 (Handley, 1960), members were placed in two genera- Lasiurus and Dasypterus-based primarily upon the presence or absence of the small, first upper premolar. Handley (1960) analyzed the differences and similarities among these two genera and concluded they were not distinct even at a subgeneric level. One goal of this study was to provide …

Mitochondrial Dna Polymorphism In Three Antillean Island Populations Of The Fruit Bat, Artibeus Jamaicensis, Dorothy E. Pumo, Everett Z. Goldin, Beth Elliot, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical fruit bat, Artibeus jamaicensis, occurs throughout Latin America and on many islands in the Caribbean. Populations from Jamaica (in the Greater Antilles) to Barbados (in the Lesser Antilles) have been classified as a subspecies (A. j. jamaicensisi separate from that on the Lesser Antillean island of St. Vincent (A. j. schwartzi). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was isolated from 54 individuals collected on these islands, analyzed by digestion with restriction endonucleases, and the restriction sites were mapped. Three different mtDNA genotypes (16,000 ± 200 bp) were identified: J-1 (16 animals from Jamaica, one from St. Vincent, …

Relationship Between Herd Management Practices In The Midwest On Milk And Fat Yield, Jeffrey F. Keown

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

A dairy management survey was conducted in fall 1985 and spring 1986 in the nine-state area served by the Midstates Dairy Records Processing Center in Ames, IA. The questionnaire, consisting of 57 questions with 254 possible choices, was used to survey dairy producers on DHI testing in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. The questions covered housing pactices, milking equipment and practices, feeding regimens, calf rearing and feeding, feed additives, various management categories, and artificial insemination usage. The survey responses were merged with the 1985 year end rolling herd production averages from the processing …

Genic Population Structure And Gene Flow In The Northern Flicker (Colaptes Auratus) Hybrid Zone, Thaddeus A. Grudzien, William S. Moore, J. Richard Cook, Danilo Tagle

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

The Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus) and Red-shafted Flicker (C. a. cafer) form a stable, narrow hybrid zone on the western Great Plains of North America. Allozyme data were obtained from 31 structural gene loci for 33 samples representing 246 Northern Flickers from throughout the Great Plains. Flickers were approximately equivalent to other birds in terms of proportion of polymorphic loci (P = 0.207) and average heterozygosity (H = 0.056). There was no concordant variation between plumage characters and allelic frequencies.

Gene-diversity analysis indicated that 92.5% of the genic variation occurred as within-deme heterozygosity ( …

Karyotypic Analysis Of Five Rodents And A Marsupial From Belize, Central America, David W. Burton, John W. Bickham, Hugh H. Genoways, Timothy J. Mccarthy

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Karyotypes and chromosomal banding patterns of six species of small mammals from Belize are presented and discussed in light of relevant data in the literature. Individuals of Heteromys desmarestianus had FN values of 72, which differs from previous reports. G-bands were obtained and compared to fluorescent bands (DAPI) and with the location of NOR sites. The karyotypes of Peromyscus mexicanus, Sigmodon hispidus, Oryzomys couesi, and Ototylomys phyllotis are identical to the karyotypes for these species described in the literature. Active NORs were located on four pairs of chromosomes in O. phyllotis and fluorescent bands obtained with the …

Herd Improvement Service Forges Ahead, M P. Bond

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Since its establishment three years ago, the Herd Improvement Service has steadily expanded the range of services provided to Western Australian livestock producers. The genetic advancement and improved hers management offered by the service give farmers the ability to use modern technology in the most cost-effective way. There is an increasing realisation amongst farmers that to survive and remain competitive, it is worthwhile to invest in such technology.

The Herd Improvement Service is a statutory corporation which was formed to improve the productivity of the State's livestock enterprises. Most of the organisation's activities have been directed to servicing the dairy …

The Awassi Fat Tail Sheep Project, R J. Lightfoot

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Australia's first Awassi fat tail lambs arrived at Kununurra in January 1987, completing the first major step in an ambitious project to establish a fat tail sheep breeding industry in this country.

Fat tail sheep bred in the Middle East attract much higher prices than merino wethers imported from Australia. The question to be resolved through our product development and market research is what premiums will Middle Eastern buyers pay for fat tail sheep bred in Australia and exported to the region.

The Department of Agriculture believes that there is potential for Sustralian producers to enter these new markets without …

Joan Staats Oral History, Joan Staats

Personal Papers Collection

No abstract provided.

Genetic Mapping Of Endogenous Rd-114 Retroviral Sequences Of Domestic Cats, Roger H. Reeves, William G. Nash, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

The RD-114 family of endogenous retroviral sequences in domestic cats has been shown to consist of approximately 20 copies of genetically divergent virogenes per haploid genome. The chromosomal localization for four endogenous sequences (RDV1-4) was accomplished by correlating the occurrence of specific feline chromosomes with diagnostic viral DNA fragments in a panel of cat x rodent somatic cell hybrids. Analysis of the hybrid panel revealed that endogenous RD-114 sequences are dispersed on multiple cat chromosomes, that certain proviral segments are polymorphic with respect to the presence or absence of virus, and that a restriction fragment characteristic of inducible RD-114 resides …

Molecular Genetic Characterization Of The Rd-114 Gene Family Of Endogenous Feline Retroviral Sequences, Roger H. Reeves, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

RD-114 is a replication-competent, xenotropic retrovirus which is homologous to a family of moderately repetitive DNA sequences present at ca. 20 copies in the normal cellular genome of domestic cats. To examine the extent and character of genomic divergence of the RD-114 gene family as well as to assess their positional association within the cat genome, we have prepared a series of molecular clones of endogenous RD-114 DNA segments from a genomic library of cat cellular DNA. Their restriction endonuclease maps were compared with each other as well as to that of the prototype-inducible RD-114 which was molecularly cloned from …

Characterization Of The Dna And Chromosonal Analysis Of Embryonic Dermacentor Variabilis (Say) Cells In Culture, Stanley Nicholas Mason

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cultured embryonic Dermacentor variabilis cells were examined by spectrophotometric techniques to determine total cellular DNA concentration and guanine-cytosine content of the DNA and by differential staining procedures to define the karyotype further. The cells were found to have a mean DNA content of 16.98 pg and a DNA guanine-cytosine content of 49%. Chromosome banding attempts resulted in the specific characterization of four chromosomes and differential grouping of the seven remaining chromosomes. A previously unreported submetacentric chromosome was identified.

Occlusion Of Vision In Old English Sheepdogs, Michael W. Fox

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

The show standards established for many breeds of dogs have been linked with a number of genetically related abnormalities that can result in unnecessary suffering. The facial skin folds and shortened face of bulldogs, which respectively lead to chronic dermatitis and respiratory difficulties, are two dramatic examples. Likewise, ear-cropping is an ethically questionable mutilation that conveys no benefit upon the dog. Another serious welfare concern relates to a practice that is common among owners of Old English sheepdogs and other breeds with long facial hair: allowing the hair to cover the animal's eyes. This feature is considered a desirable show …

Genetic Adaptation And Welfare, J. Van Rooijen

Genetics Collection

Beilharz says: "The evolutionary processes, if they are not obstructed or misdirected, must lead to such a degree of adaptation that welfare will have to be taken for granted, just as we can do no better than to take for granted the welfare of any wild animal in its natural habitat." From this statement, one might conclude all we have to do is wait, and the animals will eventually adapt to intensive systems. Concerning animals put into new kinds of environments, he states that, if individuals do not have the capacity to adjust phenotypically, "adaptation of the population will require …

Evidence For The Horizontal Acquisition Of Murine Akr Virogenes By Recent Horizontal Infection Of The Germ Line, Stephen J. O'Brien, Janet L. Moore, Malcolm A. Martin, James E. Womack

Biology Faculty Articles

Several recent reports have established the biological and molecular genetic similarity between the endogenous AKV virus of strain AKR, and an N-ecotropic endogenous virus found in the genome of feral Japanese mice, Mus musculus molossinus. The similarities are so striking as to suggest a common origin of these viruses, which are present in some, but not all, inbred mouse strains. The virogenes of AKR mice may have been acquired by either: (a) common descent of AKR (and other AKV⁺ strains) from a common ancestor of AKR and molossinus animals, or (b) horizontal germ line infection of the AKR …

Genetic Adaptation In Relation To Animal Welfare, R. G. Beilharz

Genetics Collection

In this essay I outline the processes of adaptation of animals and of animal populations and discuss their relevance to the problem of animal welfare. Because "animal welfare" has many different aspects including philosophical, ethical, and biological, it is important to examine some of the fundamental issues that underly the concept. Hence, in this essay, I comment on how people come to "know," how information accumulates, and how what we know influences our actions. I also discuss the biological information that is relevant to animal welfare. It is my hope that, when this topic has been placed within a broader …

The Systematics And Biology Of The Genus Zapus (Mammalia, Rodentia, Zapodidae), Gwilym S. Jones

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to determine specific and intraspecific relationships within the genus Zapus (Mammalia, Rodentia, Zapodidae). Subspecies are based on the biological subspecies concept where the subspecies is an evolutionary step between a population and species. Approximately 20,000 Recent specimens and representatives of fossil taxa were examined. Cranial and postcranial characteristics, colors, and when available bacula, sperms and karyotypes were incorporated into the morphological analyses. In addition, published biological data were summarized and analyzed for evidence of primary and secondary isolating mechanisms. Supplemental data were acquired during collection of 450 specimens in midwestern and western United States, western Canada, …

Lavender, A Chick Melanocyte Mutant With Defective Melanosome Translocation: A Possible Role For 10 Nm Filaments And Microfilaments But Not Microtubules, Paula Mayerson, John Brumbaugh

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Lavender is a mutation of chick neural-crest-derived melanocytes showing dilute feather pigmentation. This defect, previously attributed to a lack or attenuation of dendrites, was found to be due to a defect in melanosome translocation. The mutant phenotype, of melanin-congested perikarya and pigmentless dendrites is expressed both in vivo and in vitro. Studies with colcemid and cytochalasin B suggest that the avian melanocyte resembles a dispersing amphibian melanophore in its requirement for microfilaments but not microtubules.

Ultrastructural analysis revealed a normal complement of intracellular filaments. Microtubules, however, are scarce. Intermediate (10 nm) filaments surround and are closely associated with intracellular organelles, …

Apparent Chromosomal Heterosis In A Fossorial Mammal, John C. Patton, Robert J. Baker, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

For the past decade, numerous investigators have attempted to explain the plethora of genetic polymorphism found in nature (see Ayala 1976). However, few researchers have been able to document how polymorphisms have been maintained, whether the polymorphisms were genic or chromosomal. Our investigations into the maintenance of a Robertsonian chromosomal polymorphism in the plains pocket goher, Geomys bursarius major, have revealed evidence that this polymorphism is maintained by differential viabilities of the three chromosomal morphs, with the heterozygote being favored.

Heterosis And Breed Effects In Swine, R. K. Johnson

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

An objective of the NC-103 regional swine breeding project is to evaluate inter-population and intra-population performance of domestic and exotic strains of swine. Several cooperating stations have conducted experiments relative to this objective. Projects were not exact replicates, but sufficient overlap allowed combining the information to yield more precise estimates of heterosis and breed effects than was possible from the analyses of data from any single experiment. This publication summarizes data available from NC-103 cooperating stations on breed and heterosis effects in swine. An extensive crossbreeding experiment has been conducted and results published by Canadian researchers Fahmy and Bernard, 1971 …

Subject And Author Index For Bulletins Of The Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, Mohini Mundkur

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin #453, 68 pages.

More Lambs By Mating Weaners, R J. Suiter

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Farmers can increase sheep numbers by mating ewe weaners. Trials have shoen that this does not affect the later performance of these ewes.

Effect Of Graded Levels Of Bambermycins On Turkey Growth Performance, R.J. Grant, P.E. Waibel, T.W. Sullivan, C.L. Quarles

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Three experiments were conducted in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado to determine the effect on turkey performance of feeding graded levels of bambermycins (Flavomycin ®1) from one day of age to market weight. The body weight and feed efficiency values are averages for 22-week-old males and 18-week-old females. Bambermycins produced significant (P<.001; P<.05) improvements in body weight or feed efficiency in all three experiments. Composite average body weights at 0, 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 mg bambermycins/kg diet were 10.40, 10.54, 10.59, and 10.64 kg, respectively. Overall, average feed efficiencies from bambermycins at 0, 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 mg/kg of diet were 2.76, 2.73, 2.72, and 2.71, respectively.

Electrophoretic Analysis Of Blood Serum Proteins In Three Species Of Water Snakes (Genus Nerodia), Phyllis J. Garnett

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Serum from three species of water snakes (Nerodia rhombifera, N. erythrogaster and N. fasciata) from one geographic region was analyzed electrophoretically on cellulose acetate, and anodic mobility and relative concentration of the fractions were determined by a recording densitometer with an automatic integrator. Classification of fractions was based on mobility (Rf, values), and for identification purposes, bands were labeled in order of decreasing mobility (albumin and alpha₁, alpha₂, alpha₃, beta₁, beta₂, gamma₁, and gamma₂ globulins). Seven fractions were identified in each species with alpha₃ being absent from N. rhombifera and N. erythrogaster, and only one gamma fraction was observed in …

Genic Variation In White-Tailed Deer From Arkansas, Phyllis K. Price, Michael E. Cartwright, Mitchell J. Rogers

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Liver and kidney samples of 33 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) representing three populations in Arkansas were examined with horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Of 17 loci examined, only PGM-1 and ES-2 exhibited polymorphism. Average individual heterozygosity, ranging from 2.3% to 4.7% with a mean of 3.1 %, was much lower than that reported for white-tailed deer in other parts of its range. The three populations examined in this study were highly similar based on Rogers' genetic similarity coefficient.

Bvr-1, A Restriction Locus Of A Type C Rna Virus In The Feline Cellular Genome: Pleiotropic Restriction Of Endogenous Balb Virus In Cat X Mouse Somatic Cell Hybrids, Stephen J. O'Brien, Janice M. Simonson

Biology Faculty Articles

Bvr-1 is a dominant X-linked feline gene which restricts the replication of B-tropic murineleukemia virus (B-MuLV) in somatic cell hybrids between murine BALB/c-RAG cells and FL-74 feline cells. Since the hybrids were originally derived by the hypoxanthine aminopterin thymidine selection scheme, counter selection experiments on 6-thioguanine result in preferential survival of hybrid cells which have spontaneously lost the feline X-chromosome on which is located the structural gene for hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (IMP: pyrophosphate phosphoribosyl transferase, E.C. 2.4.2.8) and Bvr-1. Back selected Bvr-1^- cells express high parental levels of B-MuLV. Bvr-1^- effectively restricts the IdU-mediated induction of …

Research For Connecticut By The Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Poultry Breeds Must Be Conserved : An Ideal Small Unit, R H. Morris

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Department of Agriculture is concerned at the rapid disapearance of some poultry breeds and strains over recent years. This trend has resulted from the disposal of flocks previously held by commercial poultry breeders and fanciers.

One way to stop the trend of disappearance of poultry breeds is for interested people to maintain a breeding flock of pure-bred poultry, making the progeny available to others.

This article describes a small unit suitable for housing breeding fowls. The unit is based on designs developed by the Department of Agriculture.