Sex Identification of Feather Color in Geese and the Expression of Melanin in Embryonic Dorsal Skin Feather Follicles
May 2022
in “
Animals
”
TLDR Female goslings have darker feathers than males due to more melanin.
The study on Holdobaggy geese found that feather color could be used for sex identification, with female goslings having higher melanin content in their dorsal plumage compared to males. This was supported by higher mRNA expression of the melanin-related gene TYRP1 in females, while ASIP was higher in males. The research involved 150 fertilized eggs and focused on embryonic stages E13, E18, and E28, revealing that melanin content peaked at E18 for both sexes. The study demonstrated a 99% success rate in sex identification using feather color, suggesting it as a cost-effective method for early sex determination, enhancing production efficiency through gender-specific breeding strategies.
