[Jacob-list] Horns and offspring

[Neal and Loise Grose]

....".  Is this a genetic thing or a developmental thing?  ".... Uh, Yes.

Think of horns like you would fingerprints. There is a genetic component, but the full expression of the trait is subject to chaos or randomness. Fingerprints, markings on piebald animals and horns are going to be different even on clones.

I suspect that left/right symmetry and distance between horns are separate traits and have different heritabilities. Both of these things are independent of the actual number of horns. 

Neal Grose
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Melody 
  To: jacoblist 
  Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 1:06 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Horns and offspring


  ....  The intact lamb grew almost perfect horns.  Black, evenly spaced, upper horns curving just slightly backward, laterals  out and away from the face, the whole thing so symmetrical I was tempted to measure it to see if there was any difference at all--I sure couldn't see any.  Only fault was that they were a bit too close together, had very little space between uppers and laterals.  Now the wethered lamb--that was a different story.  It's a good thing for him he has good wool, or his name would be Chops.  On one side his upper horn  curves just slightly outward , the lateral out and down, although tends to twist a bit There is a small space between them.  On the other side there is no space between the horn bases, and although they are not fused even at the base, the upper horn curves out and down and the lateral curves out and up so that they actually cross about 4-5 inches from the skull.  Is this a genetic thing or a developmental thing?  The "oddball" was a lot smaller than his twin at birth, and not as vigorous....
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