[Jacob-list] Horn Genetics

[Neal and Louise Grose]

We have had quite a few multiple horned heads here. I think that Linda's ram is a true 6 horned ram. I think that Dan's is a fused 4 horned animal with "splinters" of cortex material. The vast majority of the odd numbered-horned sheep that I have seen are in fact due to these splinters, and do not have a supporting medulla. We have had a ram with 6 distinct and widely spaced horns; but, he was so coarse headed that I would not consider using him for breeding. The mass of horn material does not seem to change in proportion to the number of horns.

My guess is that the polycerate gene is a simple dominant/recessive and codes for "split". It doesn't code for when to stop. 

There are separate genetic pathways that code for symmetry; and this is probably much more complicated.

Neal 
in Harmony
NOT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Linda 
  To: Hobsickle at aol.com ; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 10:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Horn Genetics


  I uploaded a picture of a six horned ram lamb I had last year, where the six horns remained discrete, although I'm sure there would have been considerable fusing as he matured.
  http://www.patchworkfibers.com/sixhorned.jpg

  Linda
  What's New at Patchwork Farm?

  On Sun, 17 Jul 2005 10:02:31 EDT, Hobsickle at aol.com wrote:
  > I uploaded a picture to
  > http://members.aol.com/Hobsickle/polycerate.jpg of what I consider
  > to be a "polycerate" two-horned ram (some will likely disagree w/
  > my analysis).  If you look closely at his horns you can see a
  > line/ridge/groove/seam (whatever you want to call it) running down
  > both horns.  You will also notice on his right horn (your left)
  > that the tip of the horn has actually divided a little under stress
  > as it grew.  What you cannot clearly tell on the picture is that
  > both the inner seam and the outer seam on that horn connect to the
  > split.  Furthermore, when that ram was young he had another pair of
  > very small horns ("scurs"?) that were too weak to hang on.  In my
  > opinion that ram had three horn buds on each side, but the two main
  > buds didn't separate enough become distinct and the third was very
  > small.  Though he is a "two horn," I believe that technically, that
  > ram is a six-horn with two fused horns on each side and the third
  > broken off.
  >
  > -Dan




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