Follicle characteristics in a group on Merino sheep selected up and down for fleece weight

Abstract

It was found that the animals in a group selected for high fleece weight had straight follicles and the animals in a group selected for low fleece weight had predominantly bent follicles. These shifts in the follicle bending index in opposite directions, brought about by selection, indicate a genetic correlation between weight and percentage bending. The negative correlation between clean fleece weight and number of crimps per inch can be explained in anatomical terms.