[Jacob-list] (no subject)

[George L.Benedict]

 But the connection has a rub:  "It 
is interesting to note that when today's Hebridean is crossed with other 
breeds, the lambs are usually white."  (Alderson, ARK, 1978, Rare breeds in 
British Sheep Industry") 

Apparently Laurence Alderson's comment in the ARK was based on insufficient testing. Subsequent testing by several authors has revealed this to be false. In fact the national Hebridean flock in the UK today comprises three distinct genotypes with indistinguishable black phenotypes.

1) the original and ancient recessive black phenotype
2) the Dominant black heterozygote
3) the dominant black homozygote.

As it turns out, only the old original recessive black phenotype produces all white lambs when outcrossed to other breeds, whereas today's Hebridean produces predominantly black lambs. This may be due to the historic outcrossing and backcrossing of Hebrideans and Jacobs, thereby introducing the exotic dominant black allele into the Hebridean gene pool. 

With regard to Walker (1812), which I believe to actually be a reference to Walker (1808), John Walker does describe the sheep of the mountainous and remote areas to be very small, thin, lank, with short straight horns ...with wool of many colors (white, black, bluish grey deep russet and blotched and "with the remarkable character that it has often four, and sometimes six horns."  In fact Walker's mission was directed by his Mentor Professor Cullen at the University at Edinburgh to specifically confirm or negate the reports of "Sheep being found in some of the islands with blue fleeces-others with teeth of a gold colour- and another kind with horns as large as those of oxen." Walker's report is consistent with both earlier and later discussions and reports by others with regard to the multi-colored and multi-horned sheep of the Hebrides.

David Kinsman book about the History of Hebridean Sheep contains over 325 references and numerous other resources many of which have bearing on polycerates in general, northern short-tailed sheep, and incidentally shed light on the Jacob breed. 

Regards,
George Benedict
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