[Problematic aspects of breeding dwarf rabbits]
1Institut für Tierzucht and Vererbungsforschung der Tieräztlichen Hochschule Hannover.
DTW. Deutsche Tierarztliche Wochenschrift
|May 1, 1997
Abstract:
Some aspects of relevance for animal protection in breeding dwarf (pet) rabbits are enumerated and discussed. The predisposition of these standard dwarfs (Dw/dw) for certain defects and diseases underlines the partial dominance of Dw; mating of these heterozygous dwarfs is an open neglect of the German animal protection law (section 11b). For feasibility of control breeders (and especially so in commercial pet rabbitries) should be obliged to guarantee unambiguous identification of breeding animals and their progeny.
Related Concept Videos
01:39Epistasis
In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
01:17Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers
A species is a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Typically, individuals of the same species appear similar and share common characteristics due to their highly similar genomes. However, not all organisms that look alike are members of the same species. Various mechanisms keep most species discrete. While some mechanisms prevent reproductive behavior and fertilization (pre-zygotic isolation), others prevent the production of fertile offspring after mating has...