The Inheritance of Cryptorchidism

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Abstract
Cryptorchidism is the technical term for failure of one or both testicles to descend into their normal positions in the scrotum. This defect occurs, at least occasionally, among all species of farm animals, but seems to be much more frequent among some than among others. The scrotum is peculiarly a mammalian structure, being found in all but a few species of mammals and not occurring in other forms of life. Its origin and evolutionary significance have never been very plausibly explained. At present it seems to serve a thermoregulatory function in most mammals. Much of what is known about the functions of the scrotum and the relations between function and position of the testicles comes from the research of Dr. C. R. Moore and his associates, especially from their studies of the various forms of natural and artificial cryptorchidism.* Data on the frequency of cryptorchidism in various species are few and fragmentary. Veterinary literature gives a prominent place to cryptorchidism in the horse and also has many references to it in swine, but mentions it only rarely in connection with other animals.

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