The population, morphology and evolutionary trends of the apocrine glands of African indigenous cattle

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Abstract
An examination of the population density and morphology of the apocrine glands of four ‘races’ including fourteen breeds of African indigenous cattle has been completed.Two types of gland were found, the club-shaped and the sac-like, and it is suggested that the former is the more primitive form.Considerable differences in gland density and volume were found. In the thoracic-humped African Zebu both of these were similar to figures given for B. indicus sui generis.Gland volume was found to be closely correlated to heat toleration, but it is suggested that secretory rate is probably of high importance in view of the fact that despite differences in gland volume, there were only small differences in heat toleration coefficient.It is suggested that the heat toleration coefficient as presently defined may not be a reliable indication of the animals tolerance of prolonged high temperatures.A suggestion is made regarding the mechanism of heat control by sweating in cattle.

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