On the mode of inheritance of double-muscled conformation in bovines

Abstract

For this report, analysis of the results of an experiment conducted at the University of California at Davis and a critical review of the literature did not lead to rejection of the autosomal mono-hybrid model as an adequate explanation of the genetic transmission of the conformation associated with bovine muscular hypertrophy, commonly known as double-muscling. Conformational criteria for classifying a calf as double-muscled neonatally were developed and discussed herein, and a hypothesis is presented for prenatal selection against homozygous mutant embryos.