Biology Faculty Articles

Title

Unique Seminal Quality in the South African Cheetah and a Comparative Evolution in the Domestic Cat

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-1983

Publication Title

Biology of Reproduction

ISSN

0006-3363

Volume

29

Issue/No.

4

First Page

1019

Last Page

1025

Abstract

Analysis of 40 semen samples collected by electroejaculation from 18 cheetahs revealed no major differences in seminal traits among Transvaal, South West (Namibia) or hybrid (Transvaal X South West) males. However, mean spermatozoal concentration (14.5 X 106 spermatozoa/ml of ejaculate) and percent motility (54.0%) were less in cheetahs than in domestic cats (147.0 X 106 spermatozoa/ml of ejaculate, 77.0% motility) subjected to the same electroejaculation regimen. On the average, cheetah ejaculates contained 71.0% morphologically abnormal spermatozoa compared to 29.1% aberrant spermatozoal forms in the domestic cat. These results indicate that seminal characteristics in the cheetah are markedly inferior compared to the domestic cat, particularly with respect to the incidence of pleiomorphic spermatozoa. Because a recent parallel study demonstrates that the cheetah lacks genetic variation, it appears likely that spermatozoal abnormalities are a genetic consequence of genomic homozygosity characteristic of this endangered species.

Comments

©1983 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015

DOI

10.1095/biolreprod29.4.1019

This document is currently not available here.

Peer Reviewed

Find in your library

Share

COinS