XXV.—Observations on the Birthcoats and Skins of Several Breeds and Crosses of British Sheep

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Abstract
The birthcoats of both coarse and fine-fleeced sheep can be separated into different types of fibres. Each type of fibre is formed by a particular type of follicle. The ratios of the different types of follicles are the same in all the breeds of British sheep studied, and therefore variation of the follicle population can be excluded as a factor in the evolution of the British types of fleeces. Some birthcoats are coarse, others are fine, and some birthcoats are short, others long. The two differences are independent both developmentally and genetically. In the few lambs studied, the coarse type is dominant over the fine type, and the short type is dominant over the long type. It is suggested that the Down shortwool fleece evolved along a different route from that which gave rise to the Merino shortwool fleece.

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