Sterile? Think again....
Nov. 4th, 2002 10:14 pmMorocco's miracle mule 'confirmed'
DNA tests have confirmed that a Moroccan mule did give birth to a foal.
Veterinary experts say the foal's father was a donkey and its mother a true mule.
The discovery defies scientific wisdom because mules are supposed to be sterile.
[...] Vets from the Society for the Protection of Animals of North Africa (Spana) visited the animal and took blood tests for analysis.
"Those tests confirmed that the mother is a mule with each of her blood groups made up of both horse and donkey alleles, or genetic material - in other words she is a true equine/asinine hybrid," veterinary director Gigi Kay told BBC News Online.
DNA tests have confirmed that a Moroccan mule did give birth to a foal.
Veterinary experts say the foal's father was a donkey and its mother a true mule.
The discovery defies scientific wisdom because mules are supposed to be sterile.
[...] Vets from the Society for the Protection of Animals of North Africa (Spana) visited the animal and took blood tests for analysis.
"Those tests confirmed that the mother is a mule with each of her blood groups made up of both horse and donkey alleles, or genetic material - in other words she is a true equine/asinine hybrid," veterinary director Gigi Kay told BBC News Online.