In its common modern meaning, a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Compare hinny – the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey. The term "mule" (Latin mulus) was formerly applied to the offspring of any two creatures of different species – in modern usage, a "hybrid".
The mule, easier to breed and usually larger in size than a hinny, has monopolised the attention of breeders. The chromosome match-up more often occurs when the jack (male donkey) is the sire and the mare (female horse) is the dam. It has been known for people to let a stallion (male horse) run with a jenny (female donkey) for as long as six years before getting her pregnant. Mules are almost always sterile (see fertile mules below for rare cases), as almost all hinnies are. (see External links). The sterility is attributed to the different number of chromosomes the two species have: donkeys have 62 chromosomes, while horses have 64. Their offspring thus have 63 chromosomes which cannot evenly divide.
A female mule, called a "molly", has estrus cycles and can carry a fetus, as has occasionally happened naturally but also through embryo transfer. The difficulty is in getting the molly pregnant in the first place.
Mules are considered more intelligent than both horses and donkeys.
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[ Mule ]
Horses and Ponies
Equidae :: Perissodactyla
Equestrian
USDA Agricultural Research ServiceARS Produces Online Databases for Maize, Blueberries Thu, 07 Aug 2008 08:08:00 -0500
Read the
magazine
story to find out more.
ARS has created a publically
available online genomic databases for blueberries and maize. Click the
image for more information about it.
Click the image for more
information about it.
State-of-the-art
technology being applied to agricultural problems
A website ripe with data
from ARS tomato studies
Revolutionizing turkey
production with functional genomics
ARS Produces Online Databases for Maize,
Blueberries By Rosalie Marion Bliss
August 7, 2008
Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) scientists and colleagues have produced several online
bioinformatics resources to support plant breeders and other scientists who
research genetic traits among plant species. Bioinformatics is a field of
science in which biology, computer science and information technology merge to
form a single discipline.
ARS investigators
Doreen
Ware,
Edward
Buckler,
Michael
McMullen,
James
Holland and university colleagues produced Panzea, an online bioinformatics resource on
maize diversity with support from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Science Foundation. Buckler and Ware
are with ARS units in Ithaca, N.Y; McMullen in Columbia, Mo.; and Holland in
Raleigh, N.C. Panzea contains millions of data points, providing access to
genotype, phenotype and polymorphism data.
Maize is a diverse crop species. On average, two different maize lines
can be as genetically different as a human and a chimpanzee. A key aspect of
the program is identifying chromosomal regions at which exotic maize lines
possess genes with agronomic effects superior to those carried in Corn Belt
lines.
Panzea is available at: http://www.panzea.org.
Another genomics database supports blueberry breeders who are
generating plants that can adapt to a wide range of soils, climates and
harvests. Blueberry is now a major berry crop and sales are rising quickly,
according to industry experts.
ARS plant geneticist
Jeannine
Rowland and colleagues produced the online blueberry genomics database,
which is called the BBGD.
The researchers are with the ARS
Genetic
Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. They
have identified gene sequences and molecular markers of horticultural
significance in blueberry. That information is available through the BBGD for
marker-assisted breeding and transformation.
The database provides key information on gene expression related to a
cultivar's ability to acclimate and survive during cold winters--a critical
step to good summer yields. The BBGD is available at:
http://psi081.ba.ars.usda.gov/bbgd/index.htm.
Read more
about this research in the August 2008 issue of Agricultural Research
magazine.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the USDA.
Wheat Genotyping: An Invaluable Service Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:13:00 -0500
Read the magazine
story to find out more.
New advances in the field of genomics are speeding
scientists' identification of new traits to keep wheat healthy and productive
in the face of diseases such as scab and other problems. Click the image for
more information about it.
Fighting a worldwide wheat
threat
New durum wheat line
resists scab disease
Hessian fly-resistant
wheat germplasm available
Wheat Genotyping: An Invaluable Service
By
Jan Suzskiw
August 6, 2008
Helping plant breeders develop new wheat varieties with improved disease resistance, stress tolerance and other desirable traits is the goal of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists based at four regional small-grains genotyping centers.
Ranked third behind corn and soybeans in planted acreage and gross receipts, wheat is a major crop used in everything from flour and baked goods to crackers and pancakes. Yet insects and diseases pose a constant threat to the crop's productivity. Fortunately, new advances in the field of genomics are speeding scientists' identification of new traits to keep wheat healthy and productive in the face of these and other threats.
For example, at the ARS Western Regional Small Grains Genotyping Laboratory in Pullman, Wash., geneticist Deven See leads a team tasked with furnishing wheat and barley breeders in five states--Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana--with genetic profiles of their germplasm materials. See estimates at least 60 percent of genotyping requests received from breeders there are for genes conferring resistance to a fungal disease called stripe rust.
In Pacific Northwest production areas, stripe rust can inflict yield losses of up to 40 percent. Conventional methods of screening germplasm for resistance genes can take months to complete. Now, thanks to the genotypic services offered by See's group, coupled with the use of a technique called marker-assisted selection, breeders can identify resistant germplasm within a few days.
At the ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit in Fargo, N.D., molecular geneticist Shiaoman Chao is building a database to store genotypic information generated at her location as well as Pullman and two other regional small-grain genotyping centers: the ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, N.C., and the ARS Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit in Manhattan, Kan.
Among their accomplishments, Chao and colleagues have genotyped 400 single nucleotide polymorphism DNA sequence variations in a selection of elite U.S. wheat cultivars that can be linked to desirable traits in the crop, expediting breeding efforts.
Read more about the research in the August 2008 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Here's the Beef: Identifying DNA Markers and Traits Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:39:00 -0500
Read the
magazine
story to find out more.
A new genomics toolthe
50k SNP BeadChipmakes it easier for scientists to transfer genetic
information for use by the beef and dairy cattle industries. Click the image
for more information about it.
Identifying variation in
the U.S. bovine prion gene
DNA fingerprinting
promotes health and safety
Genetic tests beef up
cattle breeding
Here's the Beef: Identifying DNA Markers and
Traits By Laura
McGinnis August 5, 2008
Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) scientists are using a new tool to find relationships between DNA markers
and economically significant traits in cattle.
The new tool, called the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip, is a glass
slide containing thousands of DNA markers, some of which may be associated with
important production traits such as disease resistance.
ARS researchers at the
Roman
L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Neb.,
and the
National
Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, are using the BeadChip to research
bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Cattle can carry BRD without showing any
symptoms, so infected animals can be difficult to identify. Tools like the
BeadChip may facilitate identification of genetic markers for traits like BRD
resistance.
Another project employing the BeadChip technology is a USMARC
investigation into the influence of genetics on feed efficiency. Research
leader Cal
Ferrell, geneticist
Mark
Allan and their colleagues are identifying phenotypes--visible
characteristics--that relate to post-weaning feed efficiency and lifetime
productivity in beef cattle.
The researchers are also using the BeadChip to find relationships
between DNA markers and phenotypes that can be used to enhance genetic
selection and management in beef cattle. These studies could eventually allow
researchers to develop tools that can be used to guide animal breeding
selection and management decisions.
The BeadChip has research applications for both beef and dairy cattle.
Design of the BeadChip was led by ARS researchers at Beltsville, Md., in
collaboration with ARS scientists at Clay Center and colleagues from the
University of Missouri and the
University of Alberta in Canada. The chip
is being used at all those locations and many others--in at least 23 locations
in 11 countries.
ARS is a scientific research agency of the
U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
USDA - National Agricultural Statistics Service ReportsFarm Production Expenditures 2007 SummaryU.S. Farm Production Expenditures Up 9.3 Percent in 2007....
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ASSociates - Breeder of Arabian horses, donkey and mules. Located in Maine, USA.
Meta Description: [ Kalara Arabians & ASSociates, Brooks, Maine, features Arabian horses, donkeys, mules, burros, longears, spotted asses, spotted donkeys, over 100 photos and great music. ]
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Mule Society - Activities including shows, banquets and a newsletter.
4F Farm - Breeders of saddle-type mammoth jackstock and Missouri mules. Blairstown, Missouri, USA.
American Mammoth Jackstock Registry (AMJR) - The original Jack Stock Registry, established in 1888. Services, breed characteristics, archives, breeders, news, and related links.
Blue Agave Ranch - Overview of a ranch that breeds donkeys, mules, and papillon dogs. Located in Benson, Arizona.
Meta Description: [ Offers Miniature and Mammoth Donkeys for Sale. Also Mules, Papillon Dogs, Horses, and Rescued Dogs and Cats ]
Genesis Farms - Breeders of saddle mules and performance donkeys. Ohio, USA.
Heart B Ranch - Show quality mule and donkey ranch: longears and mammoth jackstock. Located in Emmett, Idaho.
Meta Description: [ This web site has been created technology from Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc. ]
Magnolia Farm - Located in Hayden, Alabama. Breeding miniature donkeys.
Minnesota Donkey and Mule Association - Focuses on promoting donkeys and mules with an emphasis on having fun and catering to children. Contact information, membership application, event calendar, member directory, photos, and links.
Meta Description: [ The Minnesota Donkey and Mule Association focuses on promoting donkeys and mules with an emphasis on having fun and catering to children. Check out our Classified Ads and Event Calendar while you tour our site. ]
SingleTree Farm - Family operation which produces and trains high quality riding mules and donkeys. Located in southwestern Virginia.
Meta Description: [ Single Tree Farm Donkey and Mule Breeders. We have mules for sale that are very friendly and good natured, as well as donkeys for sale and mares for sale. ]
Sugar Creek Ranch - Breeders of donkeys and mules. Located in Pineville, MO.
Tex*Ass Miniatures - Donkeys, miniatures, pets, equines, miniature donkeys, burros, mules, horses, located in Brenham, Texas and Durango, Colorado.
Meta Description: [ donkeys, miniatures, pets, equines, donkey, miniature, miniature donkeys, burrros, mules, mule, horses, animals ]
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The Alberta Donkey and Mule Club - Lists the organization's goals, board of directors, and an email contact.
Meta Description: [ Alberta Donkey & Mule Club's official Web site featuring donkeys, mules and all our lovely longeard friends... ]
Twin Springs Farm - Mammoth Jack Stock for breeding - also, Black Angus cattle and Shetland sheep. Located in Avonmore, PA.
Meta Description: [ Suppliers of Black Angus Cattle,Shetland Sheep and Mammoth Jack Stock for breeding. The finest spinning fleece money can buy ]
Virginia Draft Horse and Mule Association - Formed in 1978 to organize and promote the draft horse, mule, and donkey industry in Virginia.
Meta Description: [ The Virginia Draft Horse and Mule Association (VDHMA) promotes the breeding, care, use, and enjoyment of draft horses, mules, and donkeys. Whether you drive, farm, ride, or simply want to learn more. ]
Winterwind - Breeder of miniature donkeys and colored angora goats. Also harvests mohair fleeces for handspinners. Minnesota, USA.
Meta Description: [ Winterwind farm is a breeder of Miniture Donkeys and Colored Angora Goats. We harvest mohair fleeces for handspinners. ]
Wisconsin Donkey and Mule Society - Works to promote and improve the quality of donkeys, mules, and hinnies and related hybrids in Wisconsin. Officers, events, classified ads, related links and contact information.