New Mutations in Beef Cattle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20005398Keywords:
mutation rates, phenotypes, unique breeding population, SyndactylyAbstract
Mutation rates are estimated in the range of 104-106 per generation. This suggests that mutations recur at regular intervals, and inherited phenotypes are likely to emerge or recur in unique breeding populations. In spite of these probabilities, recurrent mutations are not often documented. Syndactyly is a recent example of two mutations that emerged independently in Holstein and Angus cattle. In syndactyly, cattle are born with fused claws. Crossbreeding trials demonstrated the mutation, to be allelic but the phenotypes are distinct, suggesting unique mutations.