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Animal reproduction2018; 15(4); 1214-1222; doi: 10.21451/1984-3143-AR2017-0035

Morphological characteristics of mule conceptuses during early development.

Abstract: Hybrids between species are often infertile and extremely rare among mammals. Mules, i.e. crossing between the horse and the donkey, on the other hand are very common in agricultural and leisure practices due to their enhanced post-natal physical characteristics that is believed to occur for outbreeding or hybrid vigor. Since no reports are availableon the effects of hybrid vigor during early development, this study focused on characterizing the intrauterine development of mule conceptuses during critical embryo-to-fetus transition period. Nine embryos and fetuses of early gestation, obtained after artificial insemination and transcervical flushing, were evaluated by means of gross anatomy and histology and compared to data available for the equine. We found that some events, such as C-shape turning, apearence of branchial archs, limb and tail buds, formation of primary and secondary brain vesicles, heart compartmentalization, and development of somites, occurred slightly earlier in the mule. Nonetheless, no major differences were observed in other developmental features, suggesting similarities between the mule and the horse development. In conclusion, these data suggest that the effect of hybrid vigor is present during intrauterine development in the mule, at least with regard to its maternal parent.
Copyright © The Author(s). Published by CBRA.
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Publication Date: 2018-12-05 PubMed ID: 34221135PubMed Central: PMC8203116DOI: 10.21451/1984-3143-AR2017-0035Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research studied early development of mule embryos and compared it to that of horses. The researchers found some developmental events happened slightly earlier in mules, suggesting that hybrid vigor, the improvements seen when crossing two different species, is apparent during early development.

Objective and Methods

  • The objective of this research was to examine the effects of hybrid vigor, the idea that the crossing of two different species can lead to offspring with superior traits, during the early development of mule embryos.
  • Nine embryos and foetuses from early gestation were obtained through artificial insemination and transcervical flushing, and were evaluated through gross anatomy and histology.
  • The development of these embryos was then compared to existing data on equine development.

Findings

  • The researchers found that some developmental events, including C-shape turning, appearance of branchial arches, limb and tail buds, formation of primary and secondary brain vesicles, heart compartmentalization, and development of somites, occurred slightly earlier in mules compared to horses.
  • However, no significant differences were found in other developmental features, suggesting that mule development is largely similar to that of horses.

Conclusion

  • The results of the study suggest that the effect of hybrid vigor is present during the early intrauterine development of mules, at least in comparison to their maternal parent, the horse.
  • These findings could increase our understanding of the effects of hybrid vigor and may be particularly relevant in agricultural practices where mules are often preferred due to their enhanced post-natal physical characteristics.

Cite This Article

APA
Rigoglio NN, Matias GSS, Miglino MA, Mess AM, Jacob JCF, Smith LC. (2018). Morphological characteristics of mule conceptuses during early development. Anim Reprod, 15(4), 1214-1222. https://doi.org/10.21451/1984-3143-AR2017-0035

Publication

Animal reproduction
ISSN: 1984-3143
NlmUniqueID: 101272804
Country: Brazil
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 4
Pages: 1214-1222

Researcher Affiliations

Rigoglio, Nathia Nathaly
  • Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Matias, Gustavo de Sá Schiavo
  • Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Miglino, Maria Angelica
  • Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Mess, Andrea Maria
  • Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Jacob, Julio Cesar Ferraz
  • Department of Reproduction and Animal Evaluation, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropedica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Smith, Lawrence Charles
  • Department of Veterinary Biomedicine, Centre de recherche en reproduction et fertilité, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, QC J2S 2M2, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Gambini A, Smith JM, Gurkin RJ, Palacios PD. Current and Emerging Advanced Techniques for Breeding Donkeys and Mules. Animals (Basel) 2025 Mar 29;15(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15070990pubmed: 40218383google scholar: lookup
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