Tibial hemimelia, meningocele, and abdominal hernia in Shorthorn cattle

Six genetically related Shorthorn calves were affected with the tibial hemimelia syndrome. The lesions included bilaterally malformed or absent tibia and abdominal hernia in all animals, a long shaggy haircoat, retained testicles in males, and meningocele in three animals. The malformations were similar to those described previously in Galloway calves. Pedigree analysis demonstrated a mechanism by which a recessive allele in a homozygous state could be responsible for the disorder. The condition in these calves was considered the result of a recurrence of a genetic mutation affecting a putative hemimelia locus.