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Sex Determination of Bovine Embryos Based on Embryonic Cleavage Rates

Abstract

Bovine embryos (n = 64) collected at day-6 from 10 superovulated and inseminated donors were evaluated upon recovery and again after incubation for approx. 12 hrs. According to cleavage rate they could be divided into a fast, an intermediate and a slow developing group, respectively. This grouping was correlated to embryonic sex determined by karyotyping (n = 29). From the fast developing group we found 7 males and 2 females (male ratio 78 %), from the intermediate group 3 males and 8 females (male ratio 27 %) and from the slow group 1 male and 8 females (male ratio 11 %). From this preliminary study it is concluded that the rate of embryonic development may be used as a sex discriminator.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank Ms. I. Heinze for excellent technical assistance and Ms. P. Hoffmann for typing the manuscript. This project was funded by The Danish Agricultural and Veterinary Research Council.

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Avery, B., Schmidt, M. & Greve, T. Sex Determination of Bovine Embryos Based on Embryonic Cleavage Rates. Acta Vet Scand 30, 147–153 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548051

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